Day one of school for the big/little guy.

 I have been looking forward to this day for so long. In fact, if I'm being honest, I thought it was next Monday. Oops. Until the school bus showed up at 7ish yesterday and my daughter completely panicked and got me up and moving in a seriously dazed and confused scramble for my phone. Upon calling the school and revealing what a loser I am, I learned it was a "test run" of the new student on the bus route ( Aidan). And I learned that school was staring today, which I did not admit to not really knowing. Last night I packed the tiny backpack given to us by a dear friend. Just his size and super adorable when he wears it. Extra clothes, picture for his cubby, snacks for a comfort.......... all the things I once requested parents to pack for my class. Makes it double cool/strange for me. I am on the flip side of the coin now. All those years made me more prepared and more aware of what is required and appreciated of me as a Mom on the first day of school. I smiled thinking about all the things that used to drive me crazy then, but none I could ever just straight up say directly to the parents. Packing GI Joes and Transformers with kids snacks of pure sugar, hanging around for an extra long time while the kid clings and cries thus making it so much worse and awkward for everyone, calling every five minutes to check in and interrupting teaching and the poor admin up front all day. ::Sigh:: I did know and still know why those things happen. Maybe the kid wont eat if he doesn't have Joe, maybe it's hard for Mom to be away form her little kiddo and she needs the hugs too, maybe having so much time at home alone makes her worry and she is self conscious about her kid having a bad day and behaving poorly? I just know how bonkers that made me when I was trying to focus on the most important thing. Getting songs and words and colors and themes about animals under the sea and EVERYTHING I could, into the little minds of tiny people. I miss it. Really a lot today especially. But something I thought of for a long time last night was how much I appreciate Aidan's teachers. They choose not only to teach, that is special all on it's own, but to teach my son and his peers. They chose the hard group and no easy ones. Let's be honest with the whole "every child is both easy and difficult in their own way yadda yadda yadda". Duh. What I am saying is these teachers are angelic because they work with a solid group of kids with special needs. It isn't a room of "normal" kids and one or two with learning disabilities. It's all they do. They are magical. And I want to make sure I am the Mom who is the easiest to talk do, deal with, approach about a problem, everything. No lingering drop offs. No Gabba toys. No phone calls.


 So today we as a whole flipping family took little dude to school and he dragged us from the car and tried to jog into the building he knows so well already. He waiting semi patiently for his classmates to collect in the lobby and for teachers to come take them back to the classroom. Hallie was emotional and most of it was serious pride in her brother. She smiled the whole trip and got teary when I did on the way out. The ten year old hugged and consoled me. My heart is still all fluttery but mostly I am just so happy. We are here. A humongous milestone for each one of us. It's incredibly odd being in the car with no boy in the car seat when the rest of us are in the car. We have never been without him as a family. Ever. He isn't easy to leave with people. Not because of any normal separation anxiety or the like. He is just tough because he is unpredictable and out of the average ranges all over the spectrum. This is the safest place he can be other than at my side. I am not uneasy about it, nor do I have any doubts about any of it. It's fantastic. My head and heart can be happy while I clean his room, or craft my jewelry, or................blog. :)  After all of these last few months filled with struggle and tests, this is rewarding beyond description. I needed this daily break just as much as he needs the interaction and stimulation and every single thing that great school has to offer him. Every Mom needs a breather, a break. It is our human right to have a moment of peace and sanity. Not every Mom can take one. I finally can. This will balance out what has been imbalanced for quite some time. Three years of earning this for me and for him. So healthy. So good.



 

  I will update after he comes home. On the school bus. Like a big huge mancub. And I can read all about his day on the notes they send home. Here's a video until drop off because, yeah, adorable. 

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UPDATE!

Someone had a great day.

Didn't even fall asleep on the bus. And I was pretty happy to have him home of course.