my amazing boys

Just a quick post.

Ben has read so many books that his teacher is tapped out and we need to start buying more books to supplement him for the rest of the year. Ben's becoming more and more of his own person. Gentle, occasionally sulky, bighearted, and eccentric. He impresses me with his intelligence every day.

Elliott can now cut with scissors and write with a dynamic grasp and trace his name. Six months ago, he could not hold a pencil properly and could not even draw a circle. He could make more than one snip independently with a pair of scissors.

His teacher at "new school" as he calls it, the one I moved him to after fighting with our own school district for years, told me she sees no reason he won't be in a regular kindergarten classroom in the fall. Two years ago, this boy could not look me in the eyes. He said no words. Now he's going to regular motherfucking kindergarten. Incredible.

Before class today, he started a game with another little boy. He was having so much fun, that he started hugging the other boy, over and over again. The boy politely asked Elliott to stop, but Elliott only laid his head on the other boy's shoulder. I had to tell Elliott to stop, but it was really sweet the way he was connecting with this other kid and wanted to express it.

Ben's got braces now, and Elliott is going to be 5. It's happening so quickly.