Noah's First Weeks of School

I think this was the day#3. He was still crying when I buckled him on to the seat.
They look like this when I board the bus in the afternoon. Our neighbor and Sean's classmate, Ian, is seen behind them.

Noah wanted to look at our neighbor's giant snowman before the bus came.

Noah started attending Phantom Lake Integrated Preschool on 2/14. I didn't write too much about it amidst the chaos of February, so I wanted to write more about it. His teacher's name is Ms. Elizabeth Webster. She is a youngish teacher who seems to be well organized and has gentle and positive energy. There are about seven children in his classroom and only one or two children are the community peers (normally developing children). The classroom is a little smaller than Sean's, but it has sensory area, reading area, pretend playing area etc... just like Sean's. He only attends the class from 12:20 to 3:00 pm, so it's not a very long time, but I thought it will give him an opportunity for him to get used to the classroom environment. We are reserving mornings for additional private therapies.

Ms. Elizabeth said Noah is doing well. He started to look more relaxed and smiling more often she said. I found a clip and plastic rope in his backpack the other day and I wonder what that is about. I think it's a leash and they use it to make sure he won't run off while waiting for the bus outside. It's ok with me! I want him to be safe and I know how quickly he moves.

He seems to be getting used to the school bus, too. He used to tense up and whine when I put him on the bus, but now he has a neutral expression. He still gets startled when the bus makes a loud noise when its door opens. When the afternoon bus arrives, I find my two boys cutely sitting together, Noah by the window and Sean by the aisle. The first time Noah came home with Sean, Sean was all about smiles. I think he liked having Noah with him.

I have a cautiously high hope for Noah to flourish in the preschool. Sometimes, you just have to dive in and see what happens. I think he likes being treated like a 3 year-old and doing things that 3 year-olds do. I tend to baby him a lot at home, so it's a good thing he has a life outside!