Back to School

Rowan (9) and Henry (6) went back to school today.  I thought briefly about taking pictures, but that thought was quickly driven out of my head when Henry went into full meltdown mode this morning.

It’s not that Henry doesn’t like school.  He really does.  He likes the structure, the activities, and the learning.  He loves his teacher, Mrs. A., and the two TAs who work with him the most, Donna and Sharon.  It’s just that he really, really enjoyed summer.

He loved waking up at 8:30 or 9:00, wandering into the dining room for cereal, then settling down to play Minecraft.  He loved lazy summer days spent outside in our backyard, driving trains over tree roots, throwing the ball for our dog, Lili, going to the river, and spontaneous visits to cousins or grandparents.

We’ve been trying to prep him for school the last few weeks.  He has always stubbornly responded with, “NO SCHOOL.”  Yeah, not happening, kid.  The staff at his school have many more tools in their toolbox than I do, to guide and teach through his autism.

So this morning he absolutely refused to wear any of his new clothes, despite them consisting of the same type of t-shirts and sweats he always wears.  I guess with everything else, it was just too much new  and scary.  We compromised at last with just a new t-shirt, and everything else old and familiar.  He’ll get used to them in time, I suppose.

There is a happy ending to this story.  When I picked him up, Sharon said that Henry had a GREAT day, and that his time in the regular first grade classroom [he bounces between the special ed room & the regular class] was “night and day” different from how he started in the regular kindergarten classroom last year.  He also got a candy for practicing safe body techniques all day, so that was great!

As for Rowan, while he wasn’t thrilled about going, he was excited to see his friends again.  He sits across from his friend C. and she offered to introduce him to all the kids he doesn’t know yet!  I got a running and jumping hug when he came out, and he told me that “today was the BEST school day I’ve ever had!”

In conclusion, I think we’re going to survive this year just fine.

Hello Again

Hello again.

I realized, looking on here, that it's been more than a year since I last posted.  I am sorry for that.  There have been many factors, not least of which is my ongoing depression.  I keep telling myself that I need to write, but I just couldn't do it.

Anyway, I'm back, and I'm taking steps to make sure that I'm staying around.

Different book, but still reading!

So, what's new?  I'll tell you.  Rowan, my 9-year-old, has fallen completely in love with Harry Potter.  Rowan, who was never, ever, EW, no WAY, Mom going to read Harry Potter.  Actually, he mainly listens to audio books instead of reading print.  It's easier for him to focus.  We've been listening to audio books by C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Roald Dahl.  Good stuff, yes?  But everything has its saturation point, and although I never thought I'd say this, I found myself begging to please never make me listen to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory again!  Enough!  No more!!






So I convinced Rowan to listen to just the first chapter of Harry Potter, and that was it.  He was hooked.  I made the introduction, and J.K. Rowling did the rest.  He's been binge-listening for the past three weeks.  He's halfway through book 5 now.

Yep, that's the face.

Naturally, this translates into nearly everything else he does as well.  Legos?  He's building broomsticks and having face-offs between the different characters.  Minecraft?  He built a boys' dormitory & girls' dormitory, both of which have a portal to the nether in the back.  Whaaaat?  I didn't think even Hogwarts was THAT unsafe!  He's placed a lot of armor stands around, decorated them with clothing, and named them according to various characters.  So far he has Neville, and Draco Malfoy and his gang.  Rowan, of course, is Harry Potter himself.

Whomping Willow?

He also roleplays at home, and insists that everyone joins in.  I alternate between being Hermione or Mrs Weasley.  Lili, our dog, of course plays Fang.  Henry, age 6, is generally relegated to being Ron, although Henry doesn't know or care, and refuses to follow instructions.  He's a free spirit.

So I apologize, friends, if sometime in the next five years I get tired of Harry Potter.  It's fun right now, but who knows where this obsession will lead!  You may have to save me from it all!

Wild as a summer storm.

Henry continues his search for Narnia.