First Grade Frustrations

Joel has been having a hard time in first grade. It breaks my little mother's heart. He started out spitting (doing raspberries) at other kids and blowing in their faces. None of which the kids liked. He does this kind of thing when he wrestles around with his dad and they're both laughing and having a good time. So I think he was just trying to have fun.

I hadn't heard from the teachers for awhile and was hoping no gnews was good gnews. No such luck. Apparently now Joel is still blowing, but instead of spitting, he's pinching. Last Thursday he left a bruise on some kid's arm.

Riding the regular ed bus has really been a trial for him. He's been engaging in the aforementioned behaviors there too and the only supervision there is an already frazzled bus driver who has no clue about his autistic issues (I mean she's been told he's on the autism spectrum, but what does that really mean to her?) She doesn't get it.

So I've been driving him in the mornings even tho it has been a pain with getting Eli off to preschool, and the time involved in making sure he pees before he goes. Joel's always a little late. I wanted to make sure I took him in the mornings to give him a better chance at starting the day off on the right foot.

All last week he came home off the bus from school in a sad/mad/bad mood. I feel like my sweet little boy is turning into a sad little boy who is turning into a sullen, even more inward little boy, and I DON'T LIKE IT. So, needless to say I am now going to pick him up from school too.

I would love to be able to spend more time at the school, but it's tough with Eli and Cara. I am going to teach Grace Arts and hopefully do some other volunteering maybe with reading with the kids.

Kelly is going into lunch with Joel every Friday which Joel loves.

On a happier note, today in Primary Joel's teacher divided his four person (today) class into two groups. He put Brian and Alex together and Zachary and Joel. Joel immediately walked up to Zachary, put his arm around him and said, "I guess it's you and me Zachary!" How cute. When Kelly told me about it in the car on the way home, Joel got his adorable little "mommy and daddy are talking about me and they're proud" smile on and I loved it.

Cara looked like quite the little princess today at church. She wore her green taffeta dress that Grandma Hurst gave her that had a sweet little matching headband and ever so adorable white patent leather shoes that I got off of freecycle.

Joel and Eli were twinners in their orange, blue and white striped shirts that I got on sale at Gymboree. I'm not sure if Joel noticed because he hates it when I dress him and Eli alike and he didn't protest, I mean no more than he normally does when he has to get ready for church.

Well I'm off to make Joel a reward chart for not spitting, blowing or pinching other kids at school. Hopefully it will help.

Cute Kids

Eli made me laugh yesterday. He was poking at my eyes (probably because Cara had earlier been poking at my eyes). And I told him, "Be careful, Mommy's eyes are delicate."

Then Eli says, "No I think fragile."

I couldn't believe his little vocabulary.

Joel likes to tell jokes lately. Today when we were out at the playset he told me the oldie but goodie about the frog in the blender. Then he upped the mileage and his new answer was "a giraffe in a blender" and he laughed and laughed. It made me feel warm and fuzzy that he changed the scenario around in a completely logical way (so to speak).

Eli has to be the center of attention. ALWAYS. Sometimes lately if Cara starts crying he'll shout, "NO Cara, it's my turn to cry!" followed by loud wails. I'm a little fearful of what the teenage years will bring. . . One day at a time. One day at a time.

Cara is crawling and pulling up and putting everything in her mouth and cute as cute can be. She's such a smiley girl. I love to kiss those chubba wubba cheeks and her bright blue eyes just light up every time I enter the room. Hopefully she'll be the child who inherits Kelly's warm and loving personality . . .

Still working on the potty training with Eli. I don't know if he'll ever do it independently since he always wants Mommy there. He doesn't like peeing in unfamiliar toliets in bathrooms where there is no Elmo potty seat -- even tho he rarely uses said Elmo potty seat any more. I guess I need to lug the thing with me every where I take him to exorcise all of the potty demons that lurk in other bathrooms.