Just Practising

They call them settling in visits; they say it is to help them get to know Isobel and Isobel to know them and the other children. Me? I think it's so parents can practise abandoning I mean, entrusting into someone else's care, their precious, most treasured little bundle of joy.

In my case it is needed. We have been three times now and on Thursday I actually managed to make it out all the way out of the nursery door before I started crying. I think that is an achievement and is possibly a testament to the 'settling-in' period.

Look I know Isobel has a great time there, last time they took pictures to prove it to me; the time before that they rang to reassure me that it wasn't Isobel that I heard crying. Isobel is a sociable little girl and you can't get much more sociable than nursery; if I didn't have to work I'd probably send her for a few hours just for that very reason.

It's not that I think she won't be well cared for, of course she will, not as well as by me of course, but well all the same.

I could tell you that I am concerned that they won't have time for all the little things that make Isobel, Isobel; but, I am sure she is resilient enough to maintain her personality - oh god, I hope so.

Actually I am just gutted that someone else will spend more time with my most favouritest person than I will.

(That's if I actually manage to find a job, if not, nursery will become a luxury along with the roof over our heads)

Anyway, here Isobel is practising the school run in her new Maclaren; she enjoyed looking forwards once she realised she could look backwards at her mummy if she wanted to.