Time to get planning

and I don't mean for Christmas...although I could do myself a BIG favour and start planning for Christmas. Then it wouldn't "take me by surprise" as it has for the last 30-odd years and leave me scratching my head thinking, "How did it get to be Christmas and why am I so unprepared?" In fact, one of my recurring anxiety dreams is that it is Christmas and I am completely unprepared. I realise that I haven't got anyone a Christmas present, or prepared any festivities and it's already Christmas eve and there's no time and I start to panic..In my dream I feel very stressed (hence the term "anxiety dream", I suppose).

Anyway, I am planning for September. All going well, things are going to get busy. A couple of months ago I thought of approaching the local community centre with the idea of running a "Kindergarten Enrichment" program. For another year, kindergarten in the west-side will remain half-day...while for the rest of Vancouver (yeah...including those at-risk neighbourhoods with the $900K homes over there on Main and Cambie...the city needs to adjust it's old ideas on those so-called poor east-side neighbourhoods) will go to full-day kindergarten. I thought I could offer parents an enrichment program that would run for the half day they are not in school and build on concepts and skills that are introduced in kindergarten. The community centre liked the idea and agreed to provide me with space and some materials. I am in the registration guide and registration begins on August 10th. The limit for the class is only 10. Of course, there may be no interest whatsoever...but that's the gamble.

It is quite exciting and I would be over-the-moon if we get the enrollment. There are a couple of hitches: the registration guide says Mon-Thurs, when in fact it is Mon-Fri. That could put parents off and there's no way to change it now. They have put the cost down as a lump sum for three months, and that makes it look more expensive than it would if they'd put it down monthly. It does also say that payment can be made in monthly installments, and it's no more expensive than after-school care. But I don't know how that will fly and it's a bit worrying. I just have to stay positive.

I am going to start planning anyway. I'm really looking forward to running my own program. It really is something that I've wished for and almost given up hope of doing. I am passionate about teaching and I think I can really do a good job and create a fun, interesting, and meaningful program. My fingers and toes are crossed.

The other thing that I am thinking of doing is getting back to my ECE post grad diploma. I didn't take another course after I got breast-cancer. But now I think I'd like to continue it. I know it will be busy, but it will be fruitfully busy. Mark doesn't think I should register for a course, but I think I can do it. It will just take some teamwork. Nothing wrong with a bit of hard work. Hmmm...maybe I should get Christmas sorted now, just in case.