It's been a busy weekend.
Friday afternoon, Connor was surprised with an invitation to spend the weekend with Grammy and Pappy. He quickly packed his bags and said see you later. He spent a fun-filled weekend being spoiled with things like an afternoon at the indoor pool and lots of Nerf gun battles with Pappy and Louie at the house.
On Sunday, Connor came back home with Grammy and Pappy, who came over to help celebrate Josh's birthday. We celebrated with Billy's Barbecue and Magee's Carrot Cake (clearly it was not my birthday). We also got to visit with most of Josh's family - Grammy and Pappy, Uncle Luke (on his new motorcycle), Aunt Kelly, and Grandma Jo. Josh's best friend, who the boys know as "Uncle George" also came over to visit. At the end of the night, the twins went home with Grammy and Pappy.
Monday was the big day - registration day for the local school system. We've moved into a new, highly sought-after district. I've heard that you have to register early to be ensured a spot - even though we live in the actual district and are less than a mile from the school. I was there at 9 a.m. on the dot. It took me nearly an hour to fill out three registration packets, but the applications were time and date stamped within the first hour of the first registration window, so surely we will be fine. Surely.
But beyond getting the boys into a good school, it was also a big day because it marks the end of Early Start for the twins. They are going to leave their wonderful teachers and therapists at the end of this school year and start on another journey. It's a big move, and a scary one. I don't think I'm ready for it at all. At least not yet.
There are still have a few months before the transition meeting, where we get together with people from their current team and also invite members from the new school. But it's looming. And it's getting closer. I keep trying not to think about it. Because I simply am not ready.
Next year will be a BIG change. The twins will go from three hours of structured play to eight hours of hard-core school. I know this because Connor is in kindergarten this year. And it exhausts him. He complains about how hard it is and how much work he has to do. And he doesn't have autism, he doesn't have a language delay or sensory issues or any of the other things that come along with autism.
So even though I was happy to go to the boys' new, much-closer neighborhood school to sign them up, even though I am pretty optimistic they will be enrolled, despite the competitive area, it was still a bittersweet moment.
Because I am not ready. Not ready to leave behind the amazing teachers and therapists the boys have come to know the last three years at their school. Not ready to have all three boys at the same school, where their differences will be so much more obvious not only for us but for Connor and the rest of the world. Not ready for the day when Connor tells us that his brothers embarass him in front of his friends. Not ready to watch as the gap between where they are and where they should be continues to widen with each passing school year, despite how hard they are consistently expected to work every single minute of every single day.
No, I am not ready.
Not yet.
