I bumped into...

This afternoon we went to the park to meet Josie and crew. Jem was a bit tired, from school. When she saw Immi she started saying she doesn't want to go to school any more. She has been wavering about it, and it seems to be bothering her, but she won't admit it and I don't really know what I can do. It seems pretty certain that she only wants to go 2 days a week after September. But although it is more flexible than a state school, they need a terms notice if you want to change anything, which can be quite difficult. I only really send her because she insists that she really wants to go, although sometimes says she would rather be home educated full time. I just told her not to worry, as we will sort it all out... I think maybe she was all excited about the trip to Magna on Friday, which she has insisted she doesnt want me to go to, so I have arranged for her to go with some friends.
We were quite a long way from the car and raincoats, so, of course there was a heavy shower, so we sheltered under the slide till it eased off. Just as we were about to leave I saw a familiar face run into the park. Mave's dad has a little boy the same age as Allie, and he lives with his mother, who I had not met. Strangely I was talking to a friend only yesterday, who has been childminding said little boy, that's how we know him; she was asking me if I had met the mother and that I might bump into her in the park. Well it's taken 18 months of living in the same small town, with the same aged child, and it was bound to happen sooneror later. It turns out she is also friends with quite a lot of people I know, I suppose that is bound to be the case, really. It was quite strange, meeting the person who has a child with the same person you have, although it was very casual and friendly, and I certainly didn't have a problem with it.
It was all a bit strange for Mave when he was born, because it was bad enough me having a baby, as I hadn't told her immediately I was pregnant, but she found out almost straight away and then waited for me to tell her, and it got really awkward, as I hadn't wanted to tell the kids too early, but people kept blurting it out, so I had to tell them all. Then, she didn't know anything about her dad being a father again until the day the baby was born! She does see him when he goes to her dad's as she often coincides her visits to be at the same time as his. He is obviously not related to my other kids, but it feels like he is, somehow, as he is Mave's half-brother.
Anyway, we did have a bit of chat about what kind of a father he is (I think that was the strange bit). She said he wasn't very reliable, but made grand gestures, like offering to take him on long holidays, which is not want mother or child want or need. This really made me shudder as it was exactly the same when Mave was little. Although he is living in the same country as her, and he does have him one night a week, which is a vast improvement. I told her I put up with that sort of thing for 5 years and then told him to get lost, which is a bit of an over-simplification, but, hopefully got across some of what I meant.