First day at new school - and "tooths" excitement

A small, happy boy called me at work yesterday to describe his day to me. He was so talkative, and not at all stressed and worked up. He talked to me for 20 minutes about everything that had happened at school. He was very happy. If I had to base everything on this first day (which I know is impossible), I’d say we’ve made the right choice and Monster is in the right place.

Not only does he seem relaxed and content, I FEEL relaxed and content. As if I have finally found my son someplace where he can flourish.
It didn’t help that my SIL told me on Sunday that EBD classes are ALL WRONG for ASD kids and she couldn’t believe they were doing this to him (and implying, I guess, that she couldn’t believe I had allowed it). I know that she only has her understanding of EBD classrooms, but I spent a long time researching and questioning about this place until I felt right about it. And I also found out yesterday that it in not an EBD class, exactly. Yes, most kids in there are EBD but they have had many children go through there who just need the help this teacher can offer. Like Monster. In other news, he was eating lunch yesterday and felt a crack and freaked out and finally his aide was able to look into his mouth and see that Monster had a VERY loose tooth. Monster cried for an hour at school, and then came home and cried for two + hours at home, telling us he wanted it out but he didn’t because it would hurt, back and forth, over and over, in a panic over this loose tooth that was driving him nuts. I finally got him to agree that he wanted it out that night, so I grabbed him, and while he screamed bloody murder I reached in an pushed the tooth forward just a bit and the thing popped right out. Then he screamed and cried for another 45 minutes because it bled. He refused to touch the tooth. Hubby and I were telling him how proud we were, how grown up he was, how excited we were, etc. But he just cried.

He finally got calmed down and asked me to take a picture. Then he seemed fine.And that night at bedtime I went to put his blankets over his ears like he asks for every night (to keep the monsters away), and he told me no. I said, but you always want your blankets that way. He said, “Momma, I know that when I was 5 I wanted my blankets like that, and for when I was six a little bit, but now that I have tooths losed, I am a big boy and don’t need that anymore.”

Too cute. Way too damned cute. And growing up SO damned fast.