Kindergarten

I have to remind myself that he's only starting kindergarten, because I have literally been stressing about this day for the past two years! Will he be able to keep up? Will the other kids be nice to him? Will he like it? Will it be the right fit? I made a big stink (a nice way of saying I filed a 100+ page brief detailing how Ben's right to be educated with his peers was protected under federal legislation...interestingly, the committee decided to see things my way after all;) with the school district to have Ben placed in a general education classroom, with a dedicated aide, so I felt like there was a lot riding on this transition. I also felt the magnitude of the milestone that Ben was crossing--countless hours of therapy, treatment, tutoring, and homework  all lead up to this accomplishment...kindergarten! It was a big day!

Ben came home from his first day all smiles! The next day, when I was getting him dressed, he asked where we were going. When I told him he was going to kindergarten he asked, "again?!" With so much emphasis placed on that first day--new outfit, new backpack, new supplies, big breakfast, photoshoot), it's no wonder he thought kindergarten was a one-time event. 

When Ben comes home, I love to hear about his day. He struggles to communicate all of the details, so I have to fill in some of the gaps. One morning, I challenged Ben to ask his kindergarten friends what their names were so that he could report to me who he sat next to and who he played with. Ben, with his obedient little heart, felt conflicted and said, "Mom, if I talk, my teacher will write down my name!" I love that Ben always tries to obey.

I don't know what is in store for Ben down the road, but I'm so proud of how far he's come and how hard he's worked to get to this point.