First grade, thus far

Two months into the school year already! In general, first grade is going well. There continue to be positive things we like to focus on, and not-so-positive things we are working on.

1. We had parent-teacher conference two weeks ago. His teacher (we'll call her Mrs. W) described Connor as "super smart." "Connor is an excellent reader, and is also very good at math," she wrote on his evaluation. As in Kindergarten, Connor is one of the top 5 readers in his class, putting him in the top reading group. I am so truly incredibly grateful for his strong academic abilities, as it really helps strengthen his weaknesses...

Appropriate and meaningful social interaction continues to be Connor's biggest struggle. With his autism, this is no surprise. And thankfully Connor likes other children and wants to be a part of things/fit in, but sometimes just lacks the ability to do this. It is something we, his teacher, and special ed teacher continue to work on; we really celebrate all of his accomplishments in this area. He has had a few issues with hitting other children; Mrs. W thinks this is a way of getting attention. His teacher and Brian and I have really worked hard on this issue, and after 3 or 4 incidents, this seems to be under control for now.

He also has struggles sometimes with staying focused and on-task, but again we continue to work with him on this, and for the most part this is not a major problem. And like Mrs. W said, sometimes kids just have to be kids. I love that Mrs. W always know where to draw the line.

Because Connor is so smart, and when he was diagnosed with autism he was termed "high functioning," and because I'm sort of a pusher mom rather than an enabler mom, sometimes I let myself get lulled into thinking there aren't any issues. And then I come back to reality, but it's not a bad reality. And considering where Connor was 3 or 4 years ago, and where he is today, he is truly doing remarkably, amazingly well. I am filled with gratitude for this. Connor will do great in life, and is bright enough to understand how to work out the things that are his weaknesses. He is an amazing little boy and a very hard worker. I am often humbled to be his mother.

2. We continue to love and adore Mrs. W. She is such a positive teacher, so easy and great to work with (and some weeks we exchange daily e-mails), and truly loves the children. She really knows Connor and tries so hard to make the best he can be. She is a blessing. She often tell us what a great kid Connor is and how much she loves him. A gem, I'm telling you.

3. A little boy (Soren) moved in three doors down from us just as school started, and he ended up in Connor's class. He is such a sweet and calm little boy, and has been very good for Connor. They really get along well, have done playdates, play together often at recess, Connor recently went to his birthday party. It has really been a blessing. And Soren has an older brother with autism, so his mom is really helpful with Connor and Soren as well. She "gets" all the issues, concerns and struggles we sometimes face. Connor and Soren:

4. Junie B. Jones has landed at our house. The other day Connor got off the bus and said, "Mom, I have the most amazing treasure to show you." With the hugest grin ever, he produced one of the Junie B. Jones books from his backpack, which Mrs. W had let him borrow. Mrs. W has been reading it in class, and Connor is over the moon for Junie B. He loves that he can read a chapter book and use a bookmark to mark his spot. And I have to admit, there's lots to love about Junie B. She's a lot of fun. If I can instill a love of books and learning in my children, I will feel like I accomplished something. We're currently reading Junie B. First Grader - Toothless Wonder, which has turned out to be oh-so apropos, because...
5. Connor has his first loose tooth! He has been not-so-patiently waiting for his turn to lose a tooth like so many of his classmates, and yesterday we discovered one is most definitely wiggly. Ecstatic excitement. Since then it's all, "mom, pack lots of crunchy things in my lunch so my tooth will come out." And, "mom, do you think the tooth fairy will bring me $12? (no). And, "well, me and my loose tooth are going to bed." It's a new chapter for certain.

6. From a loose tooth to a pink eye. He got sent home from school today with a case of pink eye. I had noticed his eye had been a little red the past couple of days, but there was no goopy stuff or anything, so I didn't think much of it. Today it totally turned for the worst, and now he's on drops. Hope it clears up soon, it looks miserable. I'm hoping it doesn't travel through the family, but knowing how contagious it is, I'm totally prepared that it could.