Life Progress...

Dear Jen,

I recently learned that there is in fact more than one good playground in town. It happens to be one that I'd seen a couple times before, as I drove down the long road that goes past the university buildings and fields and into sparse suburbia. Every time its vibrant colours attracted my eye, and as I zipped past I would try to catch a glimpse of the school to which it surely belonged. I never could find one, so it was on my list of "things to investigate". But then one day I mentioned it and someone said, "Oh yeah, that's the Bible Hill Rec. Park. I take my kids there sometimes. It's pretty good." So I got excited.

The timing of learning about this park was ideal, because the very next week Brad started work and so I needed to take Gavin with me to Evelyn's gymnastics class. I'd taken him once before, and he likes to try to struggle through the open window to clamour into the very fun-looking gym, and then cry in frustration when I won't let him. This park happens to be very close to the gymnastics building, and especially excellent: it was a clear, sunny day. Meant to be!

So I checked out the park:

And it's pretty cool! But that wasn't the best part of my park adventure. The best part was the "other mother" who was also there.

Isn't it kind of crazy and funny how trying to make new friends is a little too pathetically similar to trying to find a husband? It was totally this whole melodramatic scene.

"From across the park, I spotted you instantly. I'd seen you before, at other playgroups, and I'd always wanted to say hello, but the moment never seemed right. Now, alone at the park together, I knew this was my chance, but I didn't know how to begin. Tentatively I stood at a distance, pretending to be playing with my son, but really looking to see if you'd noticed me--trying to seem casual; trying to look cool; trying to appear like an attentive mother who also is laid-back enough to let my toddler brave the play structure on his own; trying to think of a witty line; trying to find an excuse--anything--to come close enough to you to use it. Then, just as I'd given myself up to my fate of loneliness and solitude, providence! My son became jealous of the red-steel jeep that your son was climbing on. Slowly, I sauntered forward, hoping I didn't appear too eager, hoping you didn't just see right through my facade (and yet...hoping you would), and then...you spoke! We connected--chatted about childbirth, about sleep schedules, exchanged names even...and my morning was made."

See? Just change around the details to be a smoky room at a party where you connect with that hot guy you'd been eyeing for weeks and you've got a romance novel.

Anyway, so that was my exciting Thursday. I've decided to even incorporate the park into my playgroup (which has had a grand old people count of ME--unless you include my friend from church with a 6-month-old who drops by occassionally), so now we are really like you! Park rotation! One woman on the FB group who has seemed really eager lives in Bible Hill and appears not to have a vehicle to get her over to my side of town, so perhaps this switch will even land me a single regular playgroup attendee! One can only desperately pray (no it's not that bad for me. I'm just a wee bit concerned for Evelyn because her only friends are the older kids from church who go to school all day long, and the one boy her age moved away a couple weeks ago, which she was quite disappointed about).

One last bit of not-actually-news, but just to keep you muddled and confused, it is looking possible that our living-in-limbo full-time-schooling sentence may be shortened by yet another year. As Brad discusses with professors and students and professionals and employers, he seems to be leaning toward stopping school with the Bachelor's. He's mentioned it to me a few times over the past few weeks, which means it is something that may actually happen. I guess the types of things he can do with a Master's aren't necessarily any more exciting than what he can do with the Bachelor's, and actually may be a wee bit less interesting. So...that would be only two more years! Do you think the job at FVRD will still be available?

Love,

Jacqui