School

A met her teacher for the first time yesterday. It just so happens that the teacher's assistant was her "man teacher" at her summer program, so she'll know him, which I think is a good thing, even if she said "I don't like S."

"Why?" I asked.

"He's a boy," she explained. "I don't like boys."

"Sure you do," I said, "you like other boys, you like C, you like E, you like Daddy."

She didn't seem convinced. "I don't like S," she insisted.

I hope that won't be a problem. I was happy to see her summer teacher, knowing that he had some sense of her. I was less happy that the little boy who teased her to the point of tears on her last day of the program was also in her class.

All I can do is wait. Thursday really is her first day. I hope I can ride the bus with her and then run back home and wait to pick her up at our bus stop at the end of the day.

The good news is that despite the fact that my ex had visited her teacher in advance of us, and that he had refused to pay for the afterschool program until after our case conference in October, I managed to compel him to pay his fair share by suggesting that I'd pull out of the program if he didn't pay.

I hate how complicated and conflicted absolutely everything has to be in relation to A. She shouldn't be thrust into these ongoing conflicts. It is so unnecessary and counter-productive.

Anyway, the good news is that her teacher is kind, her classroom is beautiful, and she is excited to start. I'm hoping she'll love school as much as I did. That may be a saving grace for her in this difficult situation.