Wow. School is going great so far. J loves nothing better than to hop on the school bus in the morning. He continues to be so disappointed when I pick him up in the afternoon, it just cramps his style not to be able to ride the bus home. The bus driver rates right up there with God at this point. The other night I was sneezing a lot (crazy allergies this year). J shot me a very stern look, and said, "Mommy, no sneezus. I tell bus driver tomorrow."
I'm getting feedback from his special ed teachers that his attention span has really improved from last spring. His art teacher also declared him an artist. He obviously loves going to school. I am so relieved and excited for him. Riding the bus and eating lunch are clearly the highlights in his mind - lessons are the price you pay for getting to do the bus and lunch.
The first day J hopped on the bus, raring to go, a bit scared and definitely excited, I was again reminded of how adaptable he really is. I'm proud of him - even when he is afraid, he marches right along. He kind of reminds me of myself in that respect. My Aunt Lois tells me the story of how I had been staying with her in Iowa when I was about three, while my mom was ill and receiving cancer treatments, the winter before my mother died. My family found a way for me to return home to Colorado riding on the train, with some people from church I didn't know. Aunt Lois said I gave her a hug goodbye, marched right out of the house and down the drive, and off we went, no tears. I remember that feeling of knowing I needed to rise to the occasion. J obviously has that same instinct. There are some definite benefits to early adversity in one's life, I feel like J and I are very much a team in many respects. I appreciate his approach to life.
I've been pretty nostalgic this past week. Not only has he begun kindergarten, a major shift for any parent, but 9.9.10 also marked our second family birthday. On top of it all, he started soccer again this fall. Soccer really stands out to me as the example of how much this child has developed in the past year. Last year I remember feeling sick to my stomach as I watched him interact with his peers at that time. His language (therefore comprehension in general) just wasn't there, his attention span was nowhere to be seen, he just didnt' get it. I ached for him, though I don't think he noticed much. The soccer experience last year was kind of a wake-up call for me to continue to be really patient - he still had a long way to go. This year, he hopped onto the field, started kicking the ball around with his pal Blake, understood the directions his coach (Mr. Michael) was giving him, waited his turn with the others, shared his crackers on the sideline, and thoroughly enjoyed himself. Somehow he ended up scoring three goals during the first game to boot!?! His coach commented that he had great eye-foot coordination - he looked like a natural little athlete. One year tells the tale.
I am just so grateful for his development. The biggest lesson I am learning is to go with him. Go with where he is develomentally at any given time. Don't compare him to other kids. Don't push, just wait. Notice what he is inclined to be learning and give him opportunities to do so. Gee, sounds just like the Montessori Method.
My life is so much more precious with him in it. We joke and play and giggle and cry and notice bugs and pick flowers and get dirty and swing on the porch and watch "Rolie Polie Olie" DVD's and marvel at the rain and the wind and the sun and eat cupcakes and blow our snotty noses and read books and pretend we see Spiderman in the closet and play doctor and fix up our boo-boos and clean up peeing accidents in the bed and pick out clothes for school tomorrow and take baths and build forts and practice kicking balls and look for airplanes in the sky and listen to Chinese tunes for toddlers and go to speech therapy and buy groceries and go to the gym and look at caterpillars and pretend to be afraid of ghosts and eat applesauce and scream "stinky feet!" and review each day before we go to bed and plan for the next one and practice phonics and blow bubbles and drink from sippy straws and jump on the bed and on and on and on. I am so aware of every moment being a gift. I am so much more alive with J in my life. I get to enjoy life from his point of view, most of which is exciting, and sometimes even a marvel. A cupcake can be an absolute work of art and source of total joy. I'm learning how to be like him as I grow up. I take no moments for granted, and I also know I can't hold onto them. Life is fluid, ever changing. Kids change so obviously, and so quickly, but really it's a good reminder for me that we are all in a constant state of change, reinventing ourselves. I'm just grateful for every second.
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