Firsts

We've had a lot of firsts lately and in effort to catch up, I'm going to place them all right here in this post!

The first first is that Brian is now riding a two wheeler without training wheels!  We had been bugging him to try for a few weeks because he was so ready, but he wanted nothing to do with it.  Then out of no where, he came downstairs one morning and told me he wanted to take off his training wheels.  He said if he was going to learn to ride a motorcycle, he thought he'd better start riding his bike on just two wheels.  Um, wait a minute, a motorcycle?  No sir, buddy.  But, yeah, we'll try the bike!  He had it down in about 20 minutes.  He really had it down within a few days.  He's had some wipe outs of course...largely because he goes as fast as he possibly can and then slams on the brakes so he can make cool skid marks.  But overall he's done great.  Please recall that to teach Brian to pedal his bike we had to take the bike (with training wheels) to the OT.  So this is HUGE!

This was the first ride.  He's wayyy better now!  It's so fun to see the progress!

Then of course we have had our first day(s) of FIRST grade.  Brian started first grade with Mrs. Holtzapple and then a week and a half later we did it all over again with Mrs. Elkus.

The original first day of school.  Lilah had to be in a picture!

2nd First Day!  Still excited, albeit much more nervous.

With first grade has come the implementation of an FM System for Brian.  So that's a big first!  We've named the system Roger (part of it's brand name) and it's SO COOL!  Brian loves it!  We played with it like crazy the first night (since we probably won't have it home ever again.)  He was able to ride
his bike down the street and hear me with no trouble.  Awesome!  Many of the teachers at school have already commented on how awesome it is and how beneficial it seems to be for him.

Roger

Lilah also had her first day of three year old preschool!  I can't tell you had badly I feel that I am not at all upset about this, but really?  She's right down the hall from me two days a week in a classroom full of teachers that I hired.  It's a little hard to get upset about that.  Wait until Kindergarten.  Then I will be a hot mess!  Lilah LOVES preschool and is so thrilled to finally actually be a part of the program for REAL.  (She spent quite a bit of time in both the 3 and 4/5 year old classes last year, so this really nothing new to her, just official.)   I do have to say that I LOVE when she comes in at the end of her day all excited to show me her work and tell me about her day.  She's just so much more verbal than Brian was at this age and I love hearing her go on and on!  It's the best part of my work day for sure! 

I have seen parents take this shot of their little ones for years.  So happy to get to take it of my girl!

Not sure why there is a glare on Mary's face.  This is Lilah with Ms. Mary and Ms. Stephanie. 

A Letter to Brian's NEW Teacher

A little history first...

Friday afternoon I was called to the principal's office and told that due to the population of Brian's class being louder than a typical first grade classroom, it had been decided that he had not been placed in the best education environment for him.  I was angry, hurt, shocked...but my emotions don't really matter here.  What matters is what's best for Brian.  And through the tears and boiling blood, Shawn and I made the decision to allow him to be transferred to another first grade homeroom.  In our experience, it's best to just rip off the band-aid, so this change will occur tomorrow morning. 

Brian was very sad when we told him.  He cried and fought it, just like we did.  But today has been better.  He seems okay with the decision.  I am hoping by tomorrow afternoon, or maybe midweek, he will even be a little excited.

This is not making this huge change to all day school any easier on this mama.  And so....

Dear Mrs. Elkus,

This is a very different letter than the one I wrote to Mrs. Holtzapple a little over a week ago.  We had a history with her and with you, we don't.  You don't know that my Brian has been through SO MUCH in his life and how very much he has overcome.  You don't know that my Brian barely spoke when he was small.  You don't know my mama heart and that I left my job that I LOVED to be the mama I need to be for my Brian.  Or that my mama heart broke in two when he was diagnosed with hearing loss and has healed little by little by watching him become the amazing young man who will enter your classroom.  You also don't know that my Brian is extremely artistic and has a little engineer/builder mind.  Or that he is extremely sensitive and compassionate.  You don't know that he can be a little shy, but has a TON to say and a MILLION questions to ask.  You don't know that his best friend in the world is an impish red head and that he's the best big brother on the planet.  You also don't know that I was told at his preschool interview that there was little hope he would ever "catch up."  And that he has.  Actually, he's exceeded all expectations from that, our first introduction to public school. 

But you will.  I know you will because your reputation precedes you.  I chose YOU to be the teacher to help him make this transition because I know you are the same kind of teacher I am.  You are loving, but firm.  You expect excellence.  Your students excel.  And you understand that your job is to be a guiding hand.  I have every faith that you too will exceed my expectations.  I am counting on it. 

Please help my Brian to adjust to this huge change.  Please know that while he is different, he doesn't see himself that way.  He has been taught to march to the beat of his own drum and to own it.  He was been taught not to be embarrassed by his disability, but to embrace it.  We want him to continue to be proud of who he is.  We want him continue to excel in his studies.  We want him to make new friends and not be afraid to jump in.  We are counting on you to help him along the way.  We are entrusting our baby boy into your care. 

Sincerely,
Maria

To Brian's Teacher

Dear Ms. Anita,

I realize it's Mrs. Holtzapple now that Brian is a first grader, but you will always be Ms. Anita to us.  How blessed we are to have you as Brian's teacher once again!  Your calming patience and tremendous knowledge of childhood development eased our minds while Brian was in preschool for two years.  And now that he has had a year to grow and change under the care of someone else, he is being entrusted into your care once again.

This time is a bit different though.  This time, he will be with you each day more than he is with me.  Please take care of him.  I know that you will, but it's still hard for me to let him go.

You know that Brian can be reserved, that he is incredibly creative and that he is quite intelligent.  I'll never forget how proud you were of him in his second year old preschool when he got in trouble for talking!  He was so quiet back then.  Fair warning...he's not anymore!  He will play coy with you as he always has, but he has A LOT to say.  He asks questions constantly.  And he genuinely wants to know the answers.

He LOVES reading as he always has and is coming along as an independent reader.  He gets on crazy reading kicks where he will read every book he can find at his level.  He all still loves to be read to.  We have been reading chapter books and he begs me to read more chapters each time it's time to stop.

He can still be a bit timid with friends, even those he's known for a long time.  The other day it took him almost an hour to warm up to Bradley at the park.  And he's known Brad since he was 2.  He definitely is one of those kids who waits and watches, hoping to be invited in.  Please help him get invited in.  Please help him to learn to just jump right in.

Even with his reserved personality Brian is a pretty confident kid.  He is proud of who he is and his accomplishments.  He is not embarrassed by his disability and he doesn't feel different.  Please help him to keep this confidence while he is in your care.  Help him to continue to be who he is and not care what his peers think of that boy.  Because I love that boy.

I'm excited to see how Brian likes full day school.  He loves to learn and be with his friends.  He loved his specials classes last year.  I am hoping he will love school again this year.  I am counting on you to make this transition easy on the both of us.  It's crazy to think that I took this kind of thing for granted when I was in the classroom.  I never gave a thought to how much the parents must miss their kids when they were in my care.  Once again, another thing that Brian has taught me that will make me a better teacher when I re-enter the classroom!

I trust you Ms. Anita.  I know that you will make this a wonderful year for my baby!  But I'm still going to shed a bunch more tears as I say goodbye to summer.

Sincerely,
Maria

Caterpillar Days

I've spent a lot of timely lately thinking about how much I dread the fall and the start of first grade.  Probably too much time!  And as a teacher, I shouldn't feel this way, but I HATE the idea that Brian will spend more time at school than with me. 

I have decided that these days...the last few days of summer, are our caterpillar days.  The lazy days of doing whatever we want...or nothing at all, before he becomes a little butterfly and he must spread his wings and fly.  Without me.

I know he NEEDS to do this.  I know I need to let him.  But it's so, so sad.  And I will miss him so much.  So will Lilah.

Sometimes I just want to fold him into my mama bear cocoon and keep him safe and protected and with me.

He learned to pump on his own the other day.  See?  Flying away...