I’ve just spent 13 months working on secondment – by this mean I took a temporary position, while my permanent position was held for me. I applied for the temporary position because it would be good experience for my career, but mainly because I’d be 25 minutes from home, 20 minutes from daycare. An additional bonus was that I had every third Friday off, where I was able to carve out some space for self-care and errands.
I’m going back next week. I’m giving up a short commute and easier access to the kids, I’m giving up time for myself. But I’m going back to my job, my home position, because it’s the right thing to do – it’s a job that challenges and pushes me. The pace is faster. I miss my team and my manager. I miss being downtown in the city. I learned a lot but I want to go back.
I hope that with the other changes we are trying to make – most of all, moving house – that I’ll be able to regain some of the benefits I’ve enjoyed over the past year.
It was tougher than I thought it would be to say goodbye to my coworkers this week. Even though I’ll still see them or talk to them once in a while, as I’m not leaving, just changing offices.
Today is my last day at the secondment.
**
Oliver starts senior kindergarten on Tuesday. He’s been looking forward to it all summer, because he knew that he’d get to go every day this year – our school will be implementing full time kindergarten.
Last year he went to junior kindergarten every other day, and on the off days, we’d have tears because he just wanted to go to school.
He had a fantastic teacher last year, one who knew how to perfectly balance learning and play. That classroom was so happy and fun. I hope that he has as good an experience this year.
I wish I knew more about what was happening this year, actually – there’s be no communication from the school at all. Thankfully I am able to take him myself on Tuesday and figure out what’s going on.
Today is his last full day at daycare. He’ll still go before and after school (the bus picks him up and drops him off), and PA days – but Callum and Oliver will definitely be seeing less of each other. I think, in their case, absence will make the heart grow fonder. I hope.
**
There’s other beginnings and endings swirling around us right now: new babies, a summer of soccer ending, the talk of grandparents moving to care homes, the loss (through sale) of the memory-laden homes of those grandparents. It feels like the right time of year to reflect on these things, to have these things happen - the beginning of September probably feels more like New Year’s Day to me than January 1st does. Even when you don’t start school in September anymore yourself, the month remains a placeholder of the beginning. Or the end.
Goodbye summer. Goodbye temporary workplace. Hello school, packed lunches, train and subway commuting, and whatever else the next few months have in store.
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September 3rd 2010 at 9:36 am
No communication from the school at all? Oh I bet there will be notes and things, at least I hope!
And yes, big changes, but who knows, maybe we can meet for lunch or coffee one day now. Crossed fingers it all goes well.
September 4th 2010 at 1:10 am
September always feels like a clean slate for me and I’ve sufficiently messed up routines this summer that I’m almost giddy with excitement about the forced structure even a lousy half-day of JK will bring us.
September 9th 2010 at 9:27 am
Happy School Year to you too! LOL.
I’m interested to hear what you have to say about the new full day kindergarten. We’re crossing our fingers that our school will have it next year when our little one starts JK. But due to the size of our school, we’ll probably be one of the last to get it.
Good luck with work. I miss being downtown too. So much to do down there!!