Esquela!: So Proud

Baylor went to school again today, and as I got him ready, I thought he was going to be completely cool about the whole thing.

Silly Nicole.

He was fine until we got to school, then the nerves started and he stood there on the sidewalk and informed me that he wasn't going to go.  I informed him that he was, and that his autism specialist would be there any second to take him in.  Of course, I was wrong; she was late today.  Mrs. G, his actual teacher, came out to collect him, saying, "Baylor, do you want to come with me?"  To which he emphatically replied, "No."

Awesome, kid.

His autism specialist finally came out to get him, and between the two of us we were able to get him to walk in on his own.  As I drove away there weren't any tears today, though I'll admit I was fighting some back.  But, though he looked so scared as he went in, I know that he went in the same last week and came out just fine.

After running an errand, I went back to school to sit in the parking lot and read ... you know, just in case.  Once the hour was up, I pulled out of my spot and looped around to the pick-up spot at the front of the building.  A few minutes later, Baylor finally came out.  His autism specialist said he did a really great job today, and both of the other teachers were nodding in agreement behind her.  I was able to talk to all of them, and they told me that he did a great job cutting with scissors, gluing (with a purple glue stick, no less - that was the one thing he was happy to tell everyone about today), and he even spoke up a bit today; he asked Mrs. G not to play the clean-up music too loudly (and she obliged) and he asked for a Smartie when it was snack time.  Last week he wouldn't talk so he didn't get a treat at all.  He also, apparently, played with Legos next to some other kids and seemed okay with it, though I talked to him later and he told me it scared him a bit.

Once his hat was retrieved from the cubby in the classroom (he had come out without it), we hopped in the car and made our way to the pharmacy and then home.  As we were driving up the main road near our house, Baylor started talking about the music playing on the CD player in the car.  He told me which tracks were (according to his speculation) his autism specialist's, his teacher's, and the "other kids'" favorites.  Then he said, "And number 6 is Dylan's favorite."

Dylan is a kid in his class.  He knows the name of a kid in his class.  It was a great moment to know that he cares enough about another kid to assign a favorite song to him.

I then told him that I was so proud of him for going to class and doing so well, and that he should be proud of himself, too.  He merely replied, "Yeah."

But then he said, "Mom, I am so proud of YOU!  For ... for ... for ... dropping me off!"  Considering how difficult it had been for me to simply drop him off, I took this as a great compliment, even coming from a three year-old.

Between that and the Dylan mention I was crying with joy by the time we pulled into the driveway.  Today was a good day at school for Baylor, and I can only hope that there are many more like this to come.