First Day of Preschool

I was very nervous about getting Nikko ready to go to preschool today. Denis, Audrey, Nikko and me waited for the bus, which arrived a little after 8:15a. I ushered Nikko onto the bus while greeting Mrs. Monica Beyer the bus driver, saw the third seat on the left was empty, pulled down the harness seat, scooped Nikko up and buckled him in. I put his backpack next to him and stepped away; he wasn't looking at me, but was looking down at his harness. I stepped off the bus and caught his gaze in the window. He looked at me with a quick instant of confusion and I could almost hear him start to whine in protest, but the bus pulled away. It continued on its route and I didn't know how it went until Ms. Winters called me at 8:50 with an update. She said that Nikko was a little Houdini and got out of his harness, but by the time she got to him on the bus he had calmed down and he was ok right now. I was glad she called with an update but was worried about him and incredulous about the bus ride. I'd have to ask Mrs. Beyer about that. While Nikko was gone I was in the living room with the other two kids trying to do a toy purge and straighten up, but it looks like I didn't get much done. Around 11:05 I went outside again and waited for Nikko's bus with the others. When it rolled up, I greeted Mrs. Beyer and asked how he did. She talked to me while I got on. I spotted Nikko sitting right in the front seat next to a little blond girl. He was quiet and wasn't acting out. I leaned over the girl and unbuckled him and Mrs. Beyer said she'd move his seat again so I wouldn't have to lean over anyone, and that she kept him up front so she could keep an eye on him. This morning, Nikko got upset on the bus and managed to wriggle himself out of his harness. She told me he was standing up in his seat so she had to stop the bus. She couldn't sit with him, but got another mom at a stop to sit with him until they got to the school. Later, on the ride home, he did much better and behaved. She said that the school was going to get him a different harness. I wonder how that will turn out? Nikko seemed fine to us, maybe a little quieter than usual, but later in the day he perked up. I wonder what was going on in his head when he got to school, and even when he got home and saw all of us. I'm thinking that he probably was scared when going to school because he didn't know where he would end up. But now that he had a full session and got to play, maybe he'll figure out that the bus goes to school [a happy place] and then takes him home [another happy place]. I went through his backpack and got his daily report. Ms. Winters wrote at the bottom: Nikko had a good 1st day! Mad/sad for the 1st half of the day - he wore himself out, had snack, played legos & playground! Margie & Kathy. The report was a pictorial which reflected the PECs pictures on the classroom board in a modified sense. There was a box for bathroom, which was empty, but I checked Nikko and saw that they had changed his diaper. I'll bet Nikko found comfort in the Lego table that he played with yesterday, and he probably enjoyed the playground. Well, we'll have to do this all again on Tuesday. I didn't cry when Nikko left, didn't have time to cry. But felt bad when I got the full report from Mrs. Beyer, and hope he won't have a hard time on Tuesday on the bus. Hope he won't slip out of his harness again. :(

Denis' birthday was today, so to celebrate that as well as Nikko's first day at preschool we went to Red Robin for lunch at Woodfield Mall. Denis had looked up the menu the night before so it actually made ordering easier. The tower of onion rings did us in, though, because they were so tasty and there was so much of it! The kids did well, thanks to french fries. After eating we walked around JC Penny's and then to the Looney Tunes play area to run off the food. We got home, chilled out for a bit, and then after dinner we headed to Jewel to get Denis a cake for his birthday. The kids got to bed later than usual, but the overall feeling was a good one.

Behaviorally, Nikko kept to himself for the rest of the day, except at the play area where he was all too happy to run back and forth on the carpet and do some climbing, too. I've been noticing at home that he has been refusing to sign More when I ask him if he wants more of something. I know he does, because he will sign Please, but I want him to continue to ask for More. When he refuses to comply, he has been hitting himself in the ears, or swiping at his ears for some reason. I don't want him to do that. That's a behavior I really don't want him to do in public; it's too close to looking like Rain Man. But I also don't want him to stop behaving the way we'd like him to, so I keep prompting him to sign More, and then do Hand Over Hand so that he'll see what I wanted from him. He's also been doing something I'm not too keen about. If he is starting to get mad about something, he has been huffing emphatically and following it with a swipe to the air. I saw him do it the other day and wondered if he was imitating how I act when I am totally frustrated with Ronin and get mad at myself, grumbling to myself and banging cabinet doors shut or pounding the counter. I really hope he's not copying me, and if he is then I'd better nip my own behavior in the bud somehow!!!
Tomorrow we plan to do some trail walking, and in the evening we are going out after the kids are in bed. Sunday is also busy, with a 65th bday party to attend as well as the Owsely's party. Monday looks open.....