Back to School

As I've mentioned before, Nicky has a busy schedule for a little guy. He rides the bus to an Early Childhood school affiliated with Plano ISD on M, W, F for morning Speech & Communication class, then rides the bus to his new preschool for lunch, nap and afternoon fun. Thursday mornings are spent at Medical City Dallas Hospital for his Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy Sessions; afternoons are spent at his preschool. Tuesday is the only day during the week he's actually at one school all day long...and we're paying how much for his preschool tuition?! Miraculously, he's able to keep his schedule down pat. He'll tell us "I ride bus morrow.", and he's almost always right about that fact! He's been really good about all the upheaval and craziness that has become his schedule...I don't know about you, but I'd be wiped out! We had to move him from his original preschool because we felt that he wasn't learning much. Due to his developmental delays, they kept him in a class with children that were 1/2 - 1 full year younger than him. His new preschool on the other hand, is more age, rather than development-based, and I can say that in the few months he's attended the new preschool, he's grown in leaps and bounds (not to mention in size - he's in the 90th % and wearing a 4T on top, but still 3T below! he's got a really long torso - just like his momma - funny how they start to take on your characteristics!) He's speaking a whole lot more - and we wanted him to talk why?! He's still learning new words, so his sentences are still rather short for his age, but it's so fascinating to hear him manipulate the words he does know into sentences. Of course, sometimes this takes some deciphering by us parents, and constant question-asking to get to the point of what he's trying to say. But - wow - so much improvement from 1 year ago!

Of course, along with going to a school with his peers, and learning new things, also comes the things we do not like. Like him looking at food that he's otherwise always enjoyed and saying "I n like that." (for some reason he doesn't say the word "not" - he'll just use the sound of the letter "n" as a placeholder. kinda confusing at times because we can't tell if he's saying he does or does not like something!); or rolling his eyes when we ask him to do something, or worse - mimicking us! He's also started to play like the other kids - why is throwing yourself on the floor/bed/couch/whatever's there and then moaning and groaning for "help" a fun game? Can someone explain that one to me?! I walked in his class the other day and while the kids were dancing around, all the boys were flopping around on the floor like little fishes! What's that?! Oh well...I guess we've gotta take the good with the bad. After all, he can (most of the time) go to the bathroom all on his own (yay!); he's learning to recognize shapes and letters of the alphabet; and his conversation style is improving! Our little baby is growing up so fast! (sniff sniff)