Two weeks in

So, I realize that I'm basically done blogging.
Here is me giving you permission to just stop 'stopping by'.
I'm dull, lame-o, boring.
But you know what? I'm actually living a full full life and it's a much better thing right now than sitting at the computer all day.

Now that that is done...

Logan has been in school for exactly 2 weeks now.
He is kicking butt in Kindergarten.
Things are going well, teacher is nice (although I have some concerns that I will talk about later) and he's making new friends.
We wondered if we should tell or not tell about the Asperger's. We decided to not tell.
We wanted him to go in and be a kid just like all the other kids and not be analyzed.
We were told by someone who knows who has a kid with autism that it wasn't the right decision, but it was our decision.
What we've seen in the past 2 weeks are some of his issues already popping out.
I'm thinking though that seeing he's only 5 that all the other 5 yr olds have issues as well, right? Perhaps he's not the only one, and he probably won't be singled out for having issues.
If so, we'll deal with it then.

But the thing is, he's not having issues that are major. He's just having issues that are obvious to us.

Let me talk about a few of them.
I decided to follow the bus in the van one morning (he will not let me drive him) just so I could see how the whole morning thing went.
There were a lot of familiar faces in the playground from the neighborhood, and I figured that Logan would be hanging with all the neighborhood boys.
Not really the case.
Logan wandered the playground just amazed at all that was happening.
His mind was wandering, racing at times and other times just gazing.
His friends would initiate play, and he'd respond with a friendly hello or wave, but he'd not step in and play. He was happily overwhelmed, if that makes sense. Completely clueless of the groups of kids playing together. Ready to let him join, but he didn't sense it.

Gym class the first day was about skipping. First, let me say that when you have 2 boys, just just don't skip! You don't! Logan was totally adamant that he wasn't going to skip or even try it. Apparently he gave the teacher a hard time. He told me that he didn't skip because of 2 reasons. 1:he doesn't know how. He's right! He doesn't! It's a motor planning thing, and also because we just DON'T SKIP WITH BOYS! I told him we'd work with him on the weekend and it would be fine! THEN he told me he'd never skip because only girls skip. It was a big deal for him not to do something that girls do. Very strange, I think anyway. I told him that it was 100% OK with me NOT to skip on the playground, but if the gym teacher wants you to skip, you should skip.

Friends. Logan has never had a problem with friends. That is unusual with the Asperger's diagnosis. My theory is is that he knows a lot about things that his peers love and he memorizes them and can roll out any fact or script at any time. This is his 'in'. He also is great with compliments, although he doesn't always know this.
The boys seem to be drawn to Logan. You know how they say when you're dating that if you don't show interest the boy will come.
Logan apparently has to fight off the boys when it comes to lunch.
On Friday he told me it was annoying how 'danny' and 'payton' and 'collin' always wanted to sit by him. "Don't they realize that there are many people to sit with? I don't always want to sit by the same people!" Just when people are forming their bonds, Logan would rather just go from person to person. While that IS great, I also wonder that he is going to miss the whole 'bonding' time and everyone will find their 'it' person and Logan won't understand that.

I now realize that I must tell Logan everything, because when I do it's in his brain but if I don't he won't realize it himself.
The other day was a cool morning, but a hot afternoon.
Logan was sent off to the bus in a light coat. I never told him that he should just put his coat in his backpack after school. When he got off the bus his cheeks were bright pink and his hair was sweaty and his coat was on.
"I never knew I didn't have to wear it if you sent it to me."

So, things ARE going well, but we're also learning as we go!
We know now that he's at a 2nd-3rd grade level in Math, although I don't know really how to approach that with his teacher. I know this by my friends who are in 2nd and 3rd grade. Logan can do their math in his head. It's his skill. The kid can play chess after being told the rules for 10 minutes. SO not my child! It will be an exciting ride!