Thursday, January 31, 2008

A Few Changes

Yesterday was Claire's last day at her current school. I took a job as a teacher at a preschool and I'm able to take Claire with me. I'm really looking forward to it. The school is a 'special purpose' school, with the goal of integrating children with developmental delays (specifically Autism spectrum) with typically developing children. They have a range of classrooms, from an intensive one-on-one setting to a fully integrated preschool classroom, where Claire and I both will be. We start tomorrow. I loved working with the Autism Project in Wisconsin, so I'm really happy to have found something similar here. The news hasn't really been an issue for Claire. I think I was more sad when I picked her up yesterday than she was. Maybe I'll get some resistance in the coming weeks, but as of right now, she's just thrilled she gets to go to school every day.

And I think she's going to need five days a week to start teaching her new classmates the fine art of fashion. She's been making some really wonderful choices lately. A lot of times, we'll be just about to head out, and she'll say "Wait wait wait! I'll be right back!" and then run off to find a missing piece of her outfit. Today it was goggles (to keep cold wind out of her eyes) and the shorts over the pants. She wore it to the grocery store, post office and bank.



















She has also has been getting a lot better at jumping on her bed.














And a few days ago we were able to catch the sunset at the beach. We do this quite a bit in the summer, but with the sun setting so early in the winter its more difficult to make it in time. You wouldn't even know that it is winter by these pictures. There isn't a lot of snow left anymore.














4 comments:

g said...

Sheila, that's so cool! So, will Claire be there full time, too? In the same classroom as you?

The children are sooooooo lucky to have you as their teacher.

Carrie

Maighie said...

Congrats on the job Sheila! How perfect that Claire can join you, I'm sure the two of you will enoy it (:

Whitney said...

Yeah, that sounds like a great situation. How have your first few days been?

Anonymous said...

Job, Shmob. School, Shmool.
I'm with Claire. Let's talk about important things: Fashion statements! Will you please post a series of Claire's fashion choices? Her everyday, "I choose to wear this", choices.
zrqztI love the classic picture of her at three (?) standing in front of a full length mirror, eying up some leggings and deciding if they were "the look" she was after.