Preschool!

Rhys had his first day of preschool on yesterday and it went wonderful!!! He is SO excited to be going! (he actually moped all morning, waiting for preschool to begin!) I am so thrilled that he is going this year and I don't feel any reservation about keeping him back! (I do feel twinges of sadness when I think of the kids his same age who went on to K though, but I don't regret holding him back) This is perfect for him!!! I am so happy!!! The only time he gets upset about school and feels negative towards it (so far in the two times we've gone) is when we have to leave--then suddenly he doesn't like school and he didn't have fun!  (it makes me laugh) I am so encouraged to see him act this way towards school. Last year, the idea of going to school terrified him.  He has amazed me with how much he has grown in just one year! His vocabulary, his ability to speak, his running/jumping, his courage, even his eating habits are better and he's finally gaining weight! He is such a delight!

 

 I feel good about his year. When we met for Preschool Orientation last week, the teachers wanted to meet afterwards so we could discuss him. I had written on his application form that he was going through some testing, so they wanted to know about that. I explained that he is delayed (speech, muscle tone, comprehension) and we don't know why yet. Is it genetic? Immaturity? Will he suddenly catch up?  We have no idea. A part of me wants to believe that it's all in my head and when he's in this situation of school, and surrounded by peers, that he'll just one day "get it" and be "normal". But since I can't even pin point just what is different about him (is it his facial features? how he can't contain excitement? or gets more upset about things than necessary? that he can't seem to do the things other kids do at his age?) I don't know what to think.  I don't know if he will be considered "Special Needs" yet, and that's daunting. I feel so confused and frustrated and alone in this and wish I had someone who knows us to sit down and observe and tell me what they see. (I didn't tell the teachers this, I'm just voicing my thoughts right now) The teachers were nice and they listened and set any worries I had aside. They said that if there is something there, they will be able to see it when he interacts with the others and we can go from there.  I felt encouraged by that. So we'll see. 

 As for now, I am loving that he is so excited to be going to school! He has absolutely no separation anxiety and when we finally arrived at the school on his first day, he exclaimed, "I see it! I see my school! I love my school!" and he took off, dancing and bouncing up the sidewalk to it! Once I helped him into his indoor shoes, he was off to go show them to the teachers and that was that! He had told me earlier that I wasn't allowed to go to his school. "No Mommies and No Edens!" I was supposed to leave and come back to get him; he was quite firm in this! 

His enthusiasm is infectious! Could he be more sweet?