December 30th - Say Goodbye to the Neighbors

My neighbors will be moving at the end of this February. They put their house on the market the week before Christmas. I told them it would be sold before the end of February based on the price they listed it for. She didn't believe me, but I've been looking at the price of housing in the area and knew they had their house offered for a ridiculously low price. Their offer was accepted for the house they bid on and they will be settling their new house and the sale of their house on the 20th of February.

I'm sad they're moving. They're good neighbors. The thing that makes me sad most of all is Bink really loves their two little boys. One is four and the other is two, just like Bink. She's use to seeing them, even if she doesn't get to play with them maybe once a week if that. The summer will be the worst. She saw them in the yard all the time and it was nothing to ask them to come over for a little to play in the sandbox. With them moving, she won't understand where her 'boys' are.

I'm still a worried that they will cut Bink out of the summer playgroup now that we won't be neighbors. I'm not the same age as the others in the group and they were all friends and relatives. I'm was just the neighbor who happened to live next to them and I think they only invited us in the group to not appear rude. I've also had the feeling that the one woman in the group really doesn't like me and this would be an easy out for them. Again, Bink won't understand any of it. I hope I'm wrong, I just worry that she'll suffer because of me.

I've offered to help them with anything in the move. I can't see being upset or miserable. People come and go in our lives and I can deal with it. Like I said before, I'm just worried about Bink. She's only two and won't understand why she can't see them or play with them any more. I've already been telling her they're moving and that was before the house was even sold.

I'm also wondering if they will change pre-schools for the youngest boy next year. The two cousins go to Bink's school and they're from the same town that my neighbors are moving to. If he did go to Bink's school next year, they'd be in the same class so it wouldn't be a total cutoff for her in a sense that she would see them once in a while. She'd have one more year of a weaning away. In one sense I'd like that to happen so if they cut her off from the playgroup she'd still get to know them, but on the otherhand if they cut her from their playgroup, I'd rather it be a clean break so she wouldn't have to wonder why she'd only see them at school.

Bleh. I can deal with it, but I think I worry too much about what Bink may think. Kids are quick to bounce back from these things. She has her friends at school. I'm thinking of asking a couple of the women if they want to start a girls play date next summer any way. We'll see. That way Bink can expand her circle of friends and I won't have to worry if she gets cut from the other group.