Sunday, August 16, 2015

Spinning the Earth Backwards

 
Summer is over starting tomorrow.  Nate finally starts kindergarten.  I don't want to sound overly dramatic, but this is suboptimal.  We tend to think that after years of raising Nate and managing all his care that we've got it down but as he gets older, completely new challenges start popping up.  It's pretty much the story of every child/parent relationship ever but there is an extra dimension added for us. 
 
What we are most NOT looking forward to is:
 
1. Trusting a nurse we don't know to care for our child at least somewhat like we do.
2. Annie is going back to kindergarten.
 
 
 


I don't remember kindergarten at all but if I did I suspect I would feel about it the way I feel about all school.  And there is no point in telling you what I think about my schooling because once I edit out the curse words it doesn't really make a full sentence anymore.  So I don't envy Annie in this.

She will have to attend kindergarten again.  And not in the funny Billy Madison way.  She'll have to go long enough for us to feel comfortable that the nurse can handle Nate and understand his particular needs and rhythms.  Also, why on Earth does rhythms have 2 "H"s in it?  What does it have to prove.


Anyway, despite my best efforts (which included making Nate take baths in Olay's anti-aging cream.  I'm beginning to suspect it doesn't actually do what it says) Nate has gotten older and life moves on.  I worry not only about kindergarten but his career, his mission, college, even chores. 

What Saturday chores can you make someone do who can barely move themselves? We tried tying rags soaked in Windex to his knees and letting him scoot around but he kept complaining about "rashes".  Millennials am I right?


Annie started taking him down to his new school and let him zoom around.    He drove around the map of the U.S. pointing out all of the "battles".  I don't know what that means and it's possible neither does he.


This is the constant conflict in Nate's life.  That stark juxtaposition between the completely normal things he can do with the completely abnormal life he will have to live.  He gets to go to kindergarten but he has a nurse there all the time and sometimes even his mom.

He can read and even spell but he can't write or even type.  He loves to play but can barely lift toys and playing on playgrounds with the other kids isn't an option. 


 
We're very excited that he can go to school, we know not every kid gets that chance and we are hoping it all works out.  Like most things there will be problems we will have to figure out but we feel lucky that Nate has had the life that he has had.  He tells us he's nervous but any time he gets to look in his new classroom or visit the school he gets pretty excited. 
 
Besides, he has a pretty good life so far.  I mean, how many 5 year olds get to go to 2 different aquariums in 1 summer.
 
Look at this kid.  He's either testing the acoustics in the shark tunnel (possible!) or he is really enjoying it.  Personally, I like to think it's both.