Actually the sitter will be living within the same school district; it's just that the location of her new house makes it dangerous for the kids to walk from sitter's house to school. No, I have no idea why the sitter can't get up off her fat ass and walk/drive the kids to school, but apparently she can't. I don't want to question this. I figure if it's serious enough to warrant uprooting the kids halfway through the year from their friends and everything familiar, my SIL isn't doing it on a whim.
I can't have my SIL here. She has too much stuff. She has three chihuahuas and a coonhound plus four cats. She is a hoarder and her kids have more clothes currently than mine have owned their entire lives (she shops thrift stores and yard sales, takes everyone's hand-me-downs, trash picks, etc.) Her house is stuffed to the gills with junk, so much that she doesn't even know half of what she owns. I think that's the real reason she doesn't want to move.
It's just overwhelming even to think about.
Plus she also has a 19 year old son from her 1st marriage who lives with her and attends college nearby. I guess he could stay in the house down there while she comes to live with us during the week with her kids. We could give them the whole lower level if it came down to it, so they could have their own space.
Her jobs aren't that far from here - I'd say they're about halfway between her house and ours. Well, at least her full-time job is; I'm not sure where the PT job is located - it's just a few hours she picks up waitressing. So that's not a big issue.
But I don't know. She's proud. (sigh) She's the BIG sister, too -- kind of stings, I bet, to take help from little brother. I sure would hate to be in her shoes.