New School

Tristan started at his new school last week. His school is absolutely wonderful. The teachers seem to genuinely care and seemed eager to understand Tristan's particular special needs.

I was worried I'd have to prepare for a battle, guns ablazin', ready to fight to get him what he needs. To my shock (and pleasure) none of that will be necessary (yet.)

Today, Tristan came screaming to me about this terrible insect on the fence. He described it as "yellow, with fang-things like this," (he put his fingers in front of his mouth like a tarantula,) "and it's like a bee, but no wings!" I ran over, thinking it must be a really big termite or something. He'd found a cicada shell. I pulled it off the fence and showed him how it was hollow inside; no bug! He was amazed and didn't seem to understand where the inside had gone. It's just so funny to me because I grew up with cicadas and never really considered it before. This is all so new to him that it's almost like I'm seeing it for the first time, too.

On Halloween day, we spent most of the day working in the yard. Tristan grabbed the broom and sat in the middle of a leaf pile. I asked him what he was doing and he explained that he was in a boat, paddling down the water. Sometimes his imagination just cracks me up. He spent the next half hour "paddling" frantically. He even got his little sister into the "boat" along with him. They ended up playing really nicely together in our front yard for most of the day.

I can't wait to see what little things he'll discover each day.