Fall is here and the last kid has returned to school...

Handsome, isn't he?

Also pretty handsome about now...

It finally happened; the bus appeared at our door and transported my youngest to his first day of 6th grade. After what seems like the longest summer on record, all 5 of the cherubs are back to school. Aniyar started Middle School today, two weeks after his siblings returned to their Charter School. Wish my youngest could be with the others since we dearly love our Salem Academy Charter School but his special needs and educational delays are just too great for that setting.

Instead, he'll be in a SPED self-contained classroom in the local school district's middle school which will hopefully address his learning challenges, memory issues, and emotional and behavioral needs related to his FASD. Not sure how it will go...Aniyar doesn't handle change well and he's been stressing about going to a new school.Can't blame him...I'm stressing about it, too. We're braced for some regression and acting out and have put supports in place to hopefully ease his transition. I've met with his teacher, the counselor, the principal, and everyone else I can think of to review his needs. I've also let everyone know I intend to be an involved parent who will advocate for her child. (This is polite code for pain-in-the-butt parent who uses the phone, email, IEP meetings, and foot-stomping as needed to get services for her kid .) Just call me Mama Bear.

Aniyar and I visited his new classroom last week and he's met everyone as well. He will have a one-on-one aide to help him, someone to escort him from the bus to his classroom and back, and tons of academic support. I've gotten him as much support as I could and I hope it goes well...I have my fingers crossed. Could the rest of you please cross your fingers and say a prayer for us, too?

I expect challenges. I expect crabby moods and resistance to homework. I expect lots of complaints about school and unhappiness about earlier bedtimes. In fact, I've already gotten a call from the school counselor about his first meltdown ....but at least he resolved his anger quickly and it ended on a positive note. We're moving forward...and I'm feeling a bit more prepared to cope.

For the past several hours, there's been a blissful silence under our roof. It's raining softly and the air is cool, whispering of autumn's approach; I've spent the day puttering around the house. I made a huge pot of soup and an even bigger pot of plov (a Russian meat and rice pilaf that my kids love) to warm my loved ones' bellies tonight. I hummed to myself as I picked tomatoes from our garden. I've cleaned, done laundry, made phone calls and set up appointments for the doctor, the dentist, the hairdresser. In short, I've been productive, had a break from the cherubs, and even a bit of rest.

Have I mentioned that I love Fall?