First Grade

Xander just completed his first full week of first grade. He started last Wednesday and I'm glad they ease into with just a few days because he was worn out.

A few days before school starts they have an open house where you can drop off your supplies, meet your teacher, check out your classroom and go to the cafeteria to have a treat and mingle with other people.

I loved Xander's teacher from the moment I walked into the room. She was welcoming, friendly and had a very clean and organized learning environment. She already had nametags on the kids' desks and mailboxes, her books were organized into categories, and she had fun lamps, rugs and pillows in the reading center. It looked like a fun place to come to every day and, compared to last year's teacher, I was very impressed. On top of that, he gets two teachers. The intervention teacher is also in his room most of the day as well, so I'm hoping that will be very helpful for him.

On the big day, Xander was super excited! He was up and dressed earlier than he's been in months. I bought the kids a special treat of chocolate donuts to celebrate and Xander ate his on the plate he made at the paint-your-own-pottery store.

We made chocolate chip cookies for his teachers.

He got to use his Transformers lunch box and fun food containers inside.

And best of all, we finally let him wear his new light-up Skechers. These aren't just any light-up shoes. You could wake the dead with these things. I could see him coming up the stairs from my bedroom with the door barely cracked open. God bless a good sale and Jason's mom's store discount, or this kid would not be wearing shoes that cost more than his parents' shoes.

Jason took Xander to buy his annual first-day-of-school outfit and he had to have a Toy Story t-shirt. He also picked out some new jeans.

We awaited the bus with great anticipation. I love that the bus stop is at the end of my driveway. I hope it continues to stay there as long as we live here.

Xander had no trouble getting on the bus this year, and I had no trouble saying goodbye.

(And in case you were wondering, I made sure he didn't get on the bus with a firearm.)

We did it!

It took 18 months, 3 school evaluations, an outside evaluation and lots of paper work, but Xander FINALLY qualified for the special needs preschool in our district. They are opening a brand new room at his school with a new teacher, so even though the school year has already started he'll be coming in at the same time as the other kids, hopefully October 22nd. There will only be 12 kids so he should get lots of attention.

This also means that he can now receive services from MRDD, so we're super excited to see what that process is going to achieve.

I'm not sure how he'll take to riding the bus, but I guess we'll find out soon. I'll have to stand out in the driveway with my camera (crying, of course) and hope he doesn't do what I did the first week my mom tried to put me on the bus.

I am sad that he's going away (I know, it's a whole 2 1/2 hours 4 days a week), but it will be so good for him socially and will hopefully get him ready to be mainstreamed in the next few years. It will also give me the opporutnity to spend one-on-one time with Jordis, so we may start going to story time at the library. Xander never wanted to be there and I was always trying to keep him from leaving. I think Jordis will love it.