Back to School Dinosaurs!

And they're off!  My girls are headed back to school after a very eventful Christmas break. (For the record, with these two out of the house I was able to vacuum, finish two loads of laundry, empty the dishwasher, plan and prep dinner for later tonight, take a shower, sweep, take out garbage, facebook, and talk to my mom on the phone. All in two hours! AWESOME!) 


I thought I'd share some pics. Here is my first grader.

And J heading to Early Intervention "Preschool".

And on the bus no less. It's strange to put a tiny little thing on the bus. But we tried it and she makes it home to me every day at noon. Magic!


J is in a special Communications Class through our local ESD, an Early Intervention program. We are so thankful for this program! J is in a class with 5 other children who also have moderate to severe speech delays. These children are not able to be mainstreamed until their communication issues are addressed.  We've tried a community preschool through EI and even with a special education aide assisting the teacher, J did not speak and did not adjust. So she was moved into a more specialized class with a head teacher and two aides. She gets so much attention and they even work on some potty training. Go, Teacher Nina!  :)


So this morning, I put J on the bus as usual. EI provides for this transportation. And on the bus are her other classmates. I've always thought it must be a quiet ride for the bus driver of all these kids with speech delays. No rowdiness or talking back from these children! J is the last to be picked up before being taken to school so the bus is packed...well, for an EI bus it's considered packed with five other preschool age children. Unlike older children, J and the others are in car seats built into the bus seats. So I am required to actually walk into the bus and strap her into her seat. As I walked onto the bus today, one of the boys turned to me and growled. Yep, he's part dinosaur too! It was a first, but I was excited to show him that I understand some dinosaur language and I growled back. He smiled and off they went to school. I don't often encounter other dinosaurs in my daily life so it was very exciting. 


Like other kids with speech delays, J spends a good portion of her day growling at those she loves. Growling is a great way for her to "say" something when she can't form the words to REALLY say something. Over the holiday break, she spent a lot of time with family. And she growled a lot!!! Maybe because she was nervous, maybe because it's her way of relating to others, or maybe a little of both. It's quite common for toddlers to growl and I'm not worried! These children with communication issues need some way to relate. And J seriously loves dinosaurs and plays with her plastic dinosaur figurines every single day. So until then, my little dinosaur will continue to relate in the best way she knows how. ROOOOAAAAR!!!