Well its another school year, and well into the second week, so far so good. No phone calls – wohoo!
Jacques anxiety has been there – new classroom, new teacher, new grade. But he seems to have settled in. It still surprises me how much he needs to know what the plan or routine is and how much he hates when it changes.
This week we started something new. Jacques and Oscar walked to and from school by themselves.
I had talked about it with them about it all summer, and we went over it every day walking to and from the first week, so it was no surprise. But still, Jacques was not happy about it. He kept saying – “But I love my mommy!” (which made me sad, but not the way you think). I think part of him still wanted me to come because then there might be a chance he’d get a ride in the car instead of walking. I think sometimes at the end of the day Jacques, with his low muscle tone from XXXYY syndrome, is just exhausted. But its good for him to walk, and its only a 5 minute walk (and it stupid to drive the car less than 2 blocks).
And when the day finally came, he didn’t want to do it.
So I did what any desperate mom would do: I bribed him. Jacques could eat leftover birthday cake if he walked with his brother to school. And it worked! I also told him that if he didn’t think he could do it at the end of the day – he should take Oscar with him to the office and call home and I would come and get them. He nodded and they were off for the day. And they got home safely. He was so proud of himself and that he took care of his little brother (and so was I).
For the past week, I have been reading on facebook how sad some of my friends and family are to see their kids grow up and go to school. And it makes me sad, because I just don’t understand. Growing up and doing all those things that other kids do is such a huge deal for Jacques, and it takes us so much longer and with so much effort to get there. I want those things to happen so badly it makes me feel crazy. I feel such a loss for words to comfort my friends and family, and I suppose they feel the same about my commentaries on life here with Jacques.
I guess it all doesn’t really matter, because for me, the glass will always be half full.
