Best Laid Plans and Other Myths

J-man had his first week of kindergarten last week.

I pretty much banked on the fact that I wouldn't cry.  I mean, come on...  after all the drop offs we've have, how could I possibly cry over him going into a kindergarten classroom.  After all, I am not an overly sentimental person.

When we arrived and clustered with all the other kids and parents, I was cool.  It was good.  And it stayed good until...

Until...

... the teacher came and lined them up and started toward the classroom.  And there was no para from J-man.  None.  He was suppose to just line up and go with the class.  He looked terrified and confused, and I imagine so did I.  Big Daddy just looked pissed.

Where was the para?  You know, the one we all agreed would be with J-man during the day to help with transitions and provide him supports as he learned about this crazy, scary place called school.  The one he needed because of his extreme language issues and difficulty understanding.  The one we specifically all agreed to in the meeting a short five days before?

We walked him to the classroom ourselves.  There really was no other choice, as there was no way he would have gone on his own.  We stopped at the door and his kindergarten teacher, Ms L, was there.  She saw the look of confusion on our faces.  Or maybe frustration with confusion and a tint of ticked-off.  Anyway, she greeted J-man and took him by the hand to lead him into the classroom.  He turned back, a bit frantic, and told us to "wait", using both his voice and signs (which usually means he means it!).  Once safely in the room, we hit the front office to ask what-the-heck was up with the no-para situation.  We were told that the para would come to work with him in an hour.

That meant the for the first hour of his day, he was on his own.

Yeah.  You can imagine how well THAT went over with us.

(Let's just say that the next day, he had a para from the first minute he arrived!!!)

So I cried.  We went to lunch, and I cried, worried and was frightened for him.  I was so terribly frustrated, too.  After all that planning, all the meetings, all the conversations and double checking and hovering, it still wasn't enough.  The first hour!!! How could they have screwed up on the FIRST HOUR OF SCHOOL EVER?  How do I even wrap my head around that?!

Of course, he survived!!!  All is well now.  He seems to like kindergarten, or at least is not protesting going, which is a very good sign.  And apparently he is impressing them with his abilities already.  I really like the teacher, the para, and the SPED teacher.  They all seem eager to work with him, which is good.  So forward we go, one day at a time.  What I need to remember is that even if I think I have everything worked out and all is right with the world, it is probably not.  Constant vigilance is needed.  Which really sorta sucks.