1st Day of School!

Today was Colin and Kailey's first day of school at their new daycare.  Sadly, we had to make the decision over the summer to find a new location that would suit both of the kids and would accommodate Colin's need to take the bus to daycare from his preschool program.  We had a nice situation last year in which we had help getting Colin to the old daycare because a few people would pick him up, but it just wasn't feasible anymore.  

This new school came highly recommended by a few different people so we were confident that we were making a good decision, however, given our situation last year with Colin at the new daycare we tried, I have been a bit anxious about the transition.  Both kids had "meet and greets" that went pretty well and I have had a really good feeling about the teachers we have met so far.  

Kailey has been really excited about going to school and did well at dropoff today, but Colin had a harder time when Chris was leaving him.  His teacher said that he stopped after about 5 minutes and she used his "special book" that I made for him about his summer vacation (I made a little story with lots of pictures to be used for both daycare and preschool/speech therapy).  

Unfortunately, my fears were confirmed when his teacher told me that he never communicated his need to go to the bathroom and had multiple accidents.  In addition, the "scheduled" times that the whole class was going didn't produce any successes either.  As soon as I walked into the classroom though when I got there, instead of coming over to give me a hug, he told me he had to go.  He was still in a pullup from nap time (my one hang up) which was wet.  I was feeling frustrated and overwhelmed about all of it and felt the stinging of tears when she was trying to look at all of the positives of the day (and there WERE positives).  However, you know what I've gone through in getting to this point and just felt defeated when it was like we went completely backwards.  

I got both of the kids in the car and drove all of the way up to OT/feeding therapy when I realized that I forgot Colin's lunch box at school that was packed with the food items he needed for therapy.  When the feeding therapist came out so I could explain everything to her, I started tearing up and then crying (in a waiting room full of people) because Colin first fought going back with the OT and then I was venting my frustrations about the potty situation.  She's a mom of 6 and quickly brought me back to the positives again.  

Don't get me wrong, I KNOW this is a HUGE transition for Colin (for both kids actually) as he is starting in a new school with a new teacher and new friends.  However, it has been a lot of hard work for all of us in getting to the point where we are at and I'm just hoping we aren't going to quickly pedal backwards with all of this.  

Colin was originally supposed to start preschool tomorrow, but unfortunately, his school is closed for remediation due to a mold problem and all of the classes are being moved to another building in the district.  The opening date has been pushed back to Monday the 9th so that the teachers can set up their new classrooms in the new building.  I know that Colin will be pretty good with that transition since his teacher, paras, and many classmates will still be the same.  

Starting the year off is always a big transition for all of us and I know that all of things I was frustrated with today will work themselves out.  Hopefully, these things will be worked out sooner than later and Colin will figure out just how to communicate his needs just like he was with us.  

Here's to a great 2013-2014 school year!