Back Against The Wall

This morning when I dropped Jake off at school I discovered that Anna, his 1:1 was not there. She has a bunch of doctor's appointments. I am always worried when people have doctor's appointments. Just, in general, I sort of expect that bad things happen to good people. Aren't I just so positive? I know she is fine, but not having her greet us at the car makes me a little lost.. I can't imagine how it feels for Jake!

So I left Lucy in the car and walked Jake over to where the other children in his class wait. There is one student in a wheelchair who comes on a different bus, so the entire class waits a minute or two as he is unloaded. They sit against the wall, or stand against the wall, holding their backpacks and wiggling and trying to hold or not hold the hands of the child next to them.

Jake normally stands away from the other kids, with the adults, with the teacher and the other aides, where he holds Anna's hand and they wait this way for that last student. Today, with no Anna, I just walked Jake over to the wall, and he put his back against it. I asked him if he wanted to sit down...

"Yeah".

So I helped Jake sit down. He put his back against the wall and slid down the wall and sat there with his legs at a "normal" angle, and his back slouched, just slightly, like a teenager.

And I handed him his backpack, and he put his arm on it, and he stayed there. He wasn't sprawled out on the ground. He didn't jump up and run into the parking lot. He didn't whine or sag, or get anxious.

He stayed against the wall and sat with his peers (okay they are also SDC kids, but they are SDC kids who can follow directions).

And I kissed him on the head and told him I love him and he smiled and I walked away.

Whoa dewd.