Relief....and Stress

Getting up this morning was wonderful...heading out to do papers was a dream. Why? Because yesterday the thermometer read -21.5C when I headed out, and today it read -6.8C. I didn't have to wear my Kenny coat (for those who don't understand this reference, I have this huge parka that, when zipped up fully, has a hood opening so small that all you can see is the wearer's eyeballs...you know...South Park?), I didn't have to wear a balaklava, I didn't even wear a toque and mitts. I had an ear warmer on, and had those mitts where the tops peel back to expose your fingers so you can grab stuff....the mitts came off after the first 15 minutes. And my glasses didn't frost up every 30 time I breathed....or at all! It was WONDERFUL! The weather forecast looks like we are heading towards spring after all...or at least temperatures above -10C.
Heading out my front door, though, also brought stress...on my street, lights blazing, sat 2 police cars. Now, if we were still in our old house, this would be a common occurrence, nothing really noteworthy, it happened all the time....but in our new neighbourhood, it's a bit of a shock, especially when it is accompanied by the sight of a policeman with his canine partner walking down the sidewalk, searching for something. I don't know what the story is, I don't know what happened or what they were after, but it certainly made me nervous! By the time I came home, they were gone, so hopefully they found what they were after and there is not threat to any of us.
On a happy topic, yesterday afternoon, we walked (yes, lovely temperatures allowed us to WALK somewhere!!!!!!!!) to Daughter's school for the bi-yearly conference. We weren't too surprised at the comments of the teacher....she is very advanced, has by far surpassed the kindergarten level, they are starting a reading program, but Daughter is such a good reader that teacher will be sending her home with level 5 books and going up from there, if it's too easy (boy have I ever made a copy of myself!), it's fine that she pushes herself and is advancing so far academically...but needs some work socially. why? Because apparently she doesn't act, talk, or socialize like a kid. She's too mature for her age, and so can't relate to the other kids. She simply cannot understand the way the other kids act, the stuff they do seems so silly and childish to her, and so she finds it hard to make friends with them, because she kind of gets annoyed by their, well, 5-6 year old behaviour.
Solution? We're supposed to get her signed up for sports and group activities (a problem, financially), so she can have more experience with kids her age in a group setting. We are supposed to invite several kids over at the same time so they can just run free and play...and sleepovers. This could be interesting, not only for her, but for me....dealing with several kids at once in a non-structured (for that is what it was stressed to me that it must be) environment? That's like asking me to walk with my nose...totally foreign, difficult thing. But I will try. I sure do wonder if they will ask to move her up a grade somewhere along the line...if she continues to excel academically AND remains mature for her age, I really hope they do, for her sake. A lot of friends had told me it was not good to advance a child because they would not be ready, socially....but my child is different. Her teacher even said she has no trouble with older kids and adults...just can't deal with kids her age.
Kids are up and Son is having a sad morning, it seems. Off to soothe the sads.