Today was our in-home visit with Xander's teachers to hear about how he's doing in preschool. We've all seen a lot of progress from when he first started to where he is now. He's adjusting, learning the rhythm and the routine, and he's doing well.
Of the twins, the transition was actually harder on Xander than it was on Sawyer (which was not what we expected at all). Part of it was the separation issue. Sawyer withdrew from all of us a little earlier in the year, including me, and Xander was quick to take his place. Without his brother constantly clutching at me and wanting to be in my arms, Xander came to think of that as his place. Being dropped off at a strange place with people he wasn't familiar with while Mommy drove away was harder for him.
But he's come around. He walks into school mostly by himself now. And for the first time this week, even allowed the teachers to prod him past the door and over to the locker area to hang up his coat and jacket. He typically tries to drop them the minute he crosses the threshold into the class. Like I said, he's finding his rhythm and learning the routine.
He's also playing with a wider variety of toys. He still has his favorites, of course, with a few choice books and some alphabet cards. But his teacher is on to him, and has been "hiding" these items in different centers within the classroom, trying to get him engaged with other types of toys that he wasn't naturally going to. And it's working. He's experimenting with a few other toys, always squinting with that one eye as he studies things. Our little engineer, he definitely has an eye for detail. And order. He's not much different from his brother with that. Everything has a place and that's where it goes. Period.
It would also seem he has some of his mother in him. He's a bit rebellious and sarcastic. First, he likes to "talk" (meaning vocalize his sounds, which are mostly letters and numbers) when the teachers would like him to be quiet and listen. And he is also fond of giving you the wrong "yes" or "no" response to your question, even when he knows the right answer! One of the teachers was explaining the rules of the class, and asked a question of the class about whether or not you play with toys while the teacher is talking. And my little man quietly mumbles to himself "yes."
Intimidating others also comes naturally to him, apparently. He discovered a new toy recently, a plastic bowling ball set. He likes to line up the pins a certain way. The other kids, naturally, want to knock them down (that is what you're supposed to do, after all). This upsets him, greatly. So he's started bending over and blocking them with his entire body so that the other kids cannot upset his order, and then he stares them down. And they're actually backing away. Perhaps they've heard and seen the angry sound and sign from him. He very good with that one. I was expecting to hear more of that kind of behavior, but his teachers said its usually only with this particular toy. He's actually been good about letting others play near him and even with the same items he's playing with (which he doesn't do so well at home with his brothers)!
One of the things that surprised us is his interest in computers. The one we have at home is in the office, out of reach for the boys. But he often stands over in that area at school and watches other kids as they play the educational games. He even tries to help one little boy, his friend Jacob, when he doesn't know the right letter in one of the games. Xander definitely knows his letters, and some of his numbers, too.
Other accomplishments include beginning to write letters, with hand-over-hand assistance, playing at the sand table (he has sensory issues, so this was a surprise as well), riding on a tricycle and actually pedaling the wheels, and listening. We have noticed such an improvement in him listening to requests and actually following directions.
All in all, he's doing very well. I'm sure the summer break and then the return in the fall will be a hard adjustment for all of us, but we're excited about how far he's come and what next year will bring. Small steps, amazing progress. All good things.