"S" is for School

Yesterday we visited the nursery school Kasia will be attending 2 half days/week in the fall for a look around and to meet her new teacher. What a great place! Small, bright and full of lots of fun things. However, by the time we left, the room looked like a cyclone had hit it. Kasia investigated everything - most of which she left strewn all over the place. Her favourite discovery: the Kasia sized counter & sink with taps that she could both reach and turn on. And right next to that, the automatic paper towel dispenser which was no less than utterly awe inspiring. She must have gotten at least 20 paper towels from that dispenser in under 5 minutes - the smile on her face bigger than I had ever seen it. I do believe that their water bill and paper towel budget will "mysteriously" shoot through the roof in the fall.

Kasia also got to choose an animal picture which will be on her locker, at her place for circle time, and on her name card. With a whole table full of animal pictures laid out in front of her, she picked a pretty butterfly - but not before some tense moments where it looked like she was going to pick the worm. Well the worm was pink, but still......

I'm excited for her to start, but nervous too. This will be her first time integrated into a class of "typical" kids. I wonder how she'll manage with them. Will they talk to her? Will they be mean to her? Make fun of her? Will they ask lots of questions and want to know why she doesn't talk, why she's so small and why she has her own assistant? Will their parents ask those same questions? And on the other hand, maybe it'll be really great. The other kids might fall in love with her and she might just flourish by being around them. Whatever the case, I know I can't hold her tightly in my arms and protect her forever, but as I'm learning, letting go is far from easy.