And Off We Go

So this morning, while it wasn't his "official" first day of school, as that was yesterday. Today was his first day of taking the "big kid" bus.

Now I am the Mommy who is ALWAYS gloating about how my child LOVES to sleep...but this morning...when we need to get our butts moving, so he can catch the bus...it is not very helpful that I have the child who throws the covers over his head and tells me to "GO AWAY" in a very loud voice I might add.

Once he is up and moving after 20 minutes of arguing with him....we get dressed and make the beds and eat breakfast. While at breakfast, I start talking to him about what's going to go on today....

I then get to the part where he is going to get off the bus and wait with his teacher to go inside. At this he pipes up with,

"Why do I need to wait? I am a big boy now I know where my room is...I don't want to wait."

So I try to explain to him that these are the rules and he needs to stay with his teacher....

and he responds with " well I am not going to wait, I'm going to go inside all by myself I don't need help like some baby"

So I answered him back with, "Nicholas Gino Federico, those are the rules and YOU will follow the rules or when you get home you will not be a very happy little boy."

and he says "well why what are you going to do?"

"Oh well we will start with removing your TV from your room, your WII, and then I will go downstairs and take your trainset away."

"Mommy you wouldn't do that."

"Yes Nicholas I would. You need to follow the rules...if you don't follow the rules there are consequences."

"Ok Mommy I'll listen."

Then we come to 8:00....(yes that all happened before 8 AM) we HAVE to go outside and wait for the bus....bus hasn't even gone up our road yet...but out we go..

We take his standard first day of school shot (pics will be posted later) and then at 8:15 the bus finally arrives....he waves goodbye and walks on the bus.

At this the bus driver looks at me and says....."what no tears?" I respond, "Nope, no tears, I'm old hat at this." I wave good-bye as the bus pulls away....and off goes my little boy :)

*Note* I questioned him when I arrived home from work on whether he followed the rules and waited with his teacher and he said 'yes Mommy I listened...don't take my stuff away." :)

Just a short comment...

Today Nicholas had Speech Therapy. He was seeing a new therapist today as his normal therapist was on vacation. At the end of his session the therapists comes out and says..."I just need to ask you is he as good at home as he is everywhere else?"

So I answered..."Oooh no at home he is a little terror with a big mouth and it's just getting bigger."

So she answered back with "Well I have always been told that is the sign of a good parent....when a child behaves everywhere else and is a terror at home."

So I smiled and said thank you...but then I wondered...what kind of a parent is a parent who's child is good at home and everywhere else?

Just Wondering :)

Wonderings

Today I had my bi-weekly meeting with Nicholas' behavioral therapist. This happened AFTER I went to work, picked up Nicholas' physical and dropped it off at school. Met with his new Kindergarten teacher to discuss some concerns. Then went to church and registered him for Catechism and volunteered to teach on Thursday afternoons.

What happened at this meeting to warrant a blog....well exactly this....

Today we were discussing Nicholas' aversion to water....simply put...he HATES water. Goes balistic when he goes near it...or you mention going swimming to him. So we were sitting there watching him play with some toys and were discussing this when she brought up swimming lessons again.

So she says today, have you thought more about the swimming lessons...and I told her I had...but I just couldn't figure out how to fit that into our schedule at this point and time.

Then I explained everything to her....

Nicholas starts Kindergarten, he starts catechism, and he has therapy 2 X a week (not including his biweekly meeting with her)

I work, am now taking 3 courses at school instead of 2, and have now agreed to also teach catechism.

Her answer to this....."Well you just need to figure it out"

So I looked at her and said..."Ok yes...I will just figure it out...and here is my just figuring it out..it isn't happening in September...I will revisit the issue in January for the next term of swimming lessons...but right now it is too much"

And she responded with "we keep coming up with this issue, you simply just do not do everything you need to be doing for your son, you need to learn how to manage your time better and spend as much time as needed with him to help him with all of his issues."

*As a side note to this...this comment from her and EVERYONE in the medical/educational/therapeutic field who say this to me...because I have heard it more than once just REALLY gets to me...I am not sure what they want/expect from me...I really think they want me to be a stay at home Mom who just spends every waking minute with her child...and honestly...when I am home and on weekends I do spend as much time as possible with Nicholas...and everyone in my family will vouch for that...LOL....but I'm sorry I need to work, I need to go to school...so I am sorry if certain people don't like that...but it's the simple facts of life...and I FEEL I DO, DO AS MUCH AS I HUMANLY CAN FOR NICHOLAS.

So after the meeting I came home and sat down and went over everything...school schedules, work schedules, therapy appointments, catechism schedules inserted some studying time, homework time for Nicholas...they say 0-10 minutes of homework for Kindergarteners but with Nicholas' difficulties I alloted 1/2 hour per night...plus time to cook dinner...etc...and I found a spare hour in there where I could possibly fit in these swimming lessons for him...but in all honesty by doing that...I am REALLY overextending myself and I feel I am just putting too much on Nicholas all at once...

So I am debating....should I overextend myself (which simply put is the job of a Mother) and sign him up for the swimming lessons...or should I stick to what I originally said and wait till January and give both of us some time to adjust to the new schedules....

The decisions of Mommyhood :)