It was the first week of all of my children back in school and it was a tie for who was happiest about it: Elias or Mama. I love my kids dearly but they are like me and they thrive in structure. Providing structure for children every day is exhausting. I have so much respect for my friends who homeschool or are teachers!
Caroline & I started back to school the same week, which was the week while we were on vacation in Wisconsin, so her she actually missed her first day of school, but was back to school a full week before the boys. Ben & Elias went back this Tuesday. I had one ambivalent child headed for fourth grade and his little brother who could not wait to get out of the door. I told Elias that he had his first of preschool at 7:00 that morning and he proceeded to put on his winter coat (in humidity-soaked 85 degree weather) over his pajamas and also his sandals and was ready to go. Chris & I both were a little worried that he was thinking that he was going to his old preschool, so I did emphasize "your NEW preschool" but he persisted in making it very clear that he was ready to go.
We were able to get some breakfast into him and clothes on his body (meanwhile, the rest of us were trying to get ready and he was holding the door open and was waiting for us) and we were off "like a herd of turtles" as my mom would say, which was a pretty fair description of the manner in which we were getting out the door that morning. Caroline had gotten picked up already so it was just me and the boys.
We get to Elias's school and he races to the door and tries to get in, though it's locked until the teachers come out to get the kids. Once his teacher opens the door he runs in like he owns the place and rushes into the first room that he sees until I redirect him to his actual room. He takes off his shoes without prompting and puts them in his locker that I point out to him and races into his room and immediately starts jumping one of the many crash pads that they have set up in every room. He's laughing and having a great time. I try to let him know that I'm leaving and will see him after school. He is wholly unconcerned with my goings-on, so I give him a kiss and leave him there. When I pick him up that day, his teacher said he had an "awesome" day and indeed, his face is bright with joy. Wednesday was similar, though Chris took both boys on the train to school -- Chris said similarly he was trying to get into the building before it was time. I attribute his comfort to the fact that he had been there twice in the past few weeks, once for an eval and once to meet his teacher and see the space and there's such fun things for him there that he couldn't wait to start! After school today, his teacher (who is the DT) said that he had a great day and that she was holding an Angry Birds stuffed animal during gym and he said to her, UNPROMPTED, "Give me the bird." -- which, if you know Elias is jaw-dropping since he doesn't often put two words together non-echolalically.
If I had any apprehensions about how he'd make the transition to a new school / new teachers / new classmates, I have them no longer!
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