Day Two

The first day we stuck to driving on the more crowded streets in the more industrial side of town. This is where our current apartment is. While grocery shopping in this neighborhood we got grabbed at by an old lady that reminded me of the telegraph crowd, except that the telegraph crowd does not try to touch you. This shook up Ramona and I. Beezus is, as per usual, in her own world entirely - I do not think she noticed. At least the old lady first complimented us on our healthy choice in food. This also made me worry that maybe nutrition is a problem out here?

Day two and there is still no snow. Well, no new snow. The snow here is dirty and slushy. The kids do not know the difference and they just plain love the snow. Of course they can only find an inch or so in parking lots. I keep going to unlock the car door and I turn around to see them "splashing" in snow "puddles". Sorry, I am short on snow terminology. Basically the snow is melty, dirty, parking lot-y, and my kids without snow pants are laughing and jumping up and down in it. Of course I am standing there exhausted and not in the mood to deal with this level of excitement after learning new streets in a new car, buying groceries that are GF in unfamiliar stores and being accosted by old ladies that remind me of the less nice parts of Berkeley. I might have gotten a little annoyed at my kids which are like, GERMS in the SNOW... AWESOME. Needless to say the locals probably thought we were a sight to see as I was yelling at my kids to "just PLEASE get in the car" while my children acted semi-delirious - essentially rolling in dirt.

So yesterday, our second day, I decided we needed to see where we would be living in a week or so. We needed to have a nice positive experience. We drove the the neighborhood we will be living in and walked through our new home. A little dated, but clean and a cute neighborhood. We went into the local super market. Clean with other moms shopping. We went to the local school - or what I thought was the local school. It is the closest to us. I loved the staff in the office and the principle was a lady I can get behind and support. Unfortunately our two block by two block radius is the one spot that takes a bus to a school in the "city". That same little two block by two block radius is surrounded by homes that go to the school I love so much. This was very disheartening to learn. It also makes you wonder why? Do they really dislike one of my neighbors? Why just a tiny circle of homes in the greater neighborhood?

There is something called open enrollment in South Dakota, which essentially means we can enroll at any of the schools. However, I also learned yesterday there is limited open enrollment space. Which at this one school is booked up.

The principle was a nice lady. We went into her office to go over any questions I might have. We went over how the district deals with special diets. They will cater to a GF diet.

What I did not realize, being some what naive, is that this might have been an informal interview to get my kids into the school. I have a tendency to be too honest and open sometimes. I mentioned how we were unsure if we were going to continue with kindergarten with our youngest. The principle was very nice and said the kindergarten teachers could give her an informal screening and the district offered for free a very comprehensive developmental screening.

Unfortunately Ramona is struggling with this move and does not want to go to kindergarten. She really wants to go to pre-K. Visiting this school was not a happy moment in her disrupted life. How does Ramona express this sentiment. Well she puts her arm on the table, burrows her face in her arm with only her big blue eyes poking out and growls at the principle. Because, after all, that's what I would do. At first the principle laughed about it. But then Ramona decided that the growling was not having the desired affect so she moved onto strange gurgling noises. This lovely principle, who happens to have a set of six year old twin kindergartners at this particular school went from glancing at my youngest to just plain watching her while we talked. If the principle was on the fence the gurgling might have solidified our renewed search for a school. Oy Vey.

And so, today, Day Three... I will be calling all the schools in the area we are living and finding out which ones have space in open enrollment to avoid trying to get my kids on a bus to go into the city for school. Where, let's face it, the strange old lady is waiting.

Wish me luck!