He is SUCH an amazing kid! I could not be prouder about how well he has adjusted to being in the structure of school. Tons of new people, new kids, away from us all day…the list goes on.

The teachers glow about him. We are so lucky to have found such an amazing place for him at The Treehouse. They love him as if he is their own. They have provided him such great guidance, direction, knowledge, structure and kindness. There are days he says he doesn’t want to go to school. That kids are mean. That they call him “Stupid”. Some of my family might remember a hopefully long lost audio tape that we sent to Deb when she was in Africa over Christmas.  I was about 5 or 6 and when my part came, I spoke in a very whiny and sad voice (now I may understand where my boys get it) explaining how I didn’t like school because the kids called me “Stupid”.

Breaks my heart sometimes to think about all the things I will not be able to protect my boys from. Hurt, sadness, disappointment, heartache, physical pain, loss…just plain old life. And then I think back to that little me on the tape. I was little once. I have had the list of emotions above, more than once. And thank God. Not that I enjoy pain, but it is necessary. I could cite dozens of things in my life that needed to happen. Completely sucked at the time, and at times I thought they would never get better…but they did. Without all of these experiences, I would not be here. I would not be me. I would not have the relationships I have, the feelings I have about life and those things that are most important. I do not know who I would have even become. It was all more than necessary.

I watch Cooper walk into school each day that I get to drop him off. Sometimes he is hesitant and hangs by me. Sometimes in walks in ready to start the day, with no reassurance necessary. Sometimes he needs to have a few extra hugs. And most days he watches me leave from the window, waving and waiting for me to pretend to kiss the Mr Potato head statue in the garden. He is AMAZING! Brave, strong, and becoming more and more a little human. Oh how I love that little human he is becoming!