School Starts Successfully!

I can't believe it is finally here.  We finally started school.  All three of them.  And aside from the total logistical nightmare of transporting three kids to three different schools, not to mention the picking them up and being home in time to get the bus chaos, we made it.  We made it!

Gabriel

This is the first year in the history of being Gabe's mom that I am not stressed.  Thank god.  School is just one of those things, that every year, no matter how well laid the plans are, we seem to get off track.  Not this year.  As you all know, Gabriel is at a private therapeutic day school that caters to children of various abilities.  Which means that this year, I don't have to worry about accommodations or IEPs.  I can worry about other things (ha!), like anger management, frustration tolerance, and social skills.  And know that this school, is teaching those things too.  Yay!

Gabe came home the first day covered in something green -- all over his shirt sleeves and up onto his chest.  His nails were caked in something white like clay, and he was grinning ear to ear.  Why?  It was a sience experiment about making the color green.  Then, he quickly announced that he was taking Baking Class!  But, just so you know, they don't start cooking until next week.  I mean, after all, this is the first week of school. 

I also got Gabe back into private speech therapy -- definitely a draw back of his private school is no therapy offerings.  His private speech therapist, (shameless plug), Liz Chapdelaine is amazing.  I can't wait to get him going with some heavy duty speech again. 

Nicholas

I rarely worry about Nick, but with the struggles Gabe had this last winter, which Nick has been privy to, and received the brunt of on more than one occasion, Nick has some PTSD symptoms. Noticeably jumpy, quick to accuse Gabe before anything actually happens and really irritable.  We are working through this, and I think with school starting it will disapate, but, with that going on, I am a little more worried about him this year.  Not hugely -- but a little.  Which means when Nick got the same teacher Gabe had for first grade, I knew it was a good fit!  It is so much easier for me and Nick to know that his teacher already 'gets' our life. 

Nick's first day was filled with fun.  He found 4 or 5 of his good friends from Kindergarten were in his class, he got to do PE and even played on the playground a little extra.  He told me he 'organized his desk' while his classmates read (he is very proud to have his own desk this year!), and that he got to do some drawing.  His teacher, Mr. H, has a Star System he uses where the kids get the wooden stars to sit on their desk paper-weight-style for good behavior, and Gabriel is convinced Nick is going to be the first one to earn enough to get in the "Treasure Box".  He might just be right too.

Matthew

I didn't think Matt would go to school on day one. I really didn't.  He had been telling me for over a week he didn't want to go - and asking if he'd be 'all alone' at school.  A lot of books, social stories, planning and reassuring later, and he dropped off at school without a single tear.  Yep, I walked him in, he got to playing and I said, "Hey, you look busy, can I go now?"  He smiled and said yes, then leaned over and kissed me.  I love that kid.  I LOVE THAT KID.

His first day was spent low key.  He got to reacquaint himself with the room (which really means play with all the toys), and enjoyed playing 'the little Thomas trains'.  The only glitch was that his bus didn't have him on the list to come home that way, so after rushing to get Gabe, then racing home to unload the Costco shop I did before getting him, I got a phone call that Matt was at school and I had to come get him.  No problem, only Nick wasn't off the bus yet.  Ugh.  One of my neighbors (a saint) offered to get Nick off the bus -- so I raced in the van around the corner to find the bus dropping Nick off.  I grabbed him and off we went.  Matt was happy to see us, and even happier that I'd remembered his bribe:  Watching Thomas videos on YouTube on my iPhone.  I didn't mind - -and Matt was proud of himself.

And you know what, I was proud of all of them.

Jeff got all three boys surprises for their first day of school:

Nick got a Darth Vadar lunch box, Gabe got a new stuffed Lion, and Matt got Dash the Logging Loco, a character from his new Thomas movie.  Lucky boys!

I know that this year has hurdles coming, but for now, I am feeling the glow of the new school year -- optimistic and happy to be home alone.

Here's to a good year!
H