It Takes a Little Getting Used To

  I've never been one to cry on my child's first day of school.  At the boohoo/yahoo parties, I'm definitely in the yahoo camp.  I love my kids but I don't mind having some time away from them and I actually think it's good for them to develop a part of their life that doesn't require me.  All that is easy to say but when Earth started crying when I dropped him off with Mama Elizabeth this morning, my heart broke a little bit and I almost cried myself.
  Our visitor pass on Kwaj is expiring on Monday so we are finally moving over to the apartment on Ebeye.  For three days this week, I was able to find nannies on Kwaj that could stay with him but since no one was available yesterday and today, I've been taking him over to Mama Elizabeth in the morning and picking him up in the evening.  While this change has been hard for Earth for so many reasons, I think we've been really blessed to be able to do it in such a gradual way.  For the first few days, Earth was able to get used to staying with someone else during the day, something he's only done for a few hours before.  Now he's getting used to staying with Mama Elizabeth while I'm gone but he knows from earlier this week that I will come back to him.
  Currently, the plan is for Earth to stay with Elizabeth every day while I'm at work.  I'll drop him off around 7am and pick him up around 6:15.  It's a long day but it has to be because I have to take a ferry to get to and from work.  There are lots of people here with much longer days away from their families so I can't complain too much.  Once Earth turns four in September, he can start preschool at the same school his older sister attends, the Ebeye SDA School.  The preschool teacher there is from the Philippines and runs an Enslish-only classroom so Van won't feel left out or behind once he starts.
  I'm sad to be leaving Kwaj again and all the creature comforts here but looking forward to settling in to this new version of life for Earth and I.  I know there will be challenges, especially for Earth, but I think we'll be okay, especially when we get on a schedule and this becomes our new normal.

  But it does take some getting used to...