At Last..Second Grade and TJ's

Excitement (as least for Mom and Dad) has been rampant here as both school and Trader Joe's opened their doors these past weeks. Trader Joe's has been all that we remembered it to be, good food at a good value. They also have discovered how to cover every possible edible item known to man in chocolate and package it in huge quantities at a ridiculously low price. Is there any doubt why I am now on a bullet train to obesity?

School has been very good so far. Unfortunately, Elijah's summer friend Janey is not in his class, but many of his previous classmates who have befriended and looked out for him are. Sarah's efforts at "Mom School," though frustrating at times, will prove to be a great aid to Elijah as he navigates his classwork. Among one of the amazing aspects of Elijah's brain is his uncanny ability to remember names. As I walked the hallways with him the first day of class, I was struck at

how he greeted everyone he saw by name. Be it a teacher he has never had, a custodian, librarian or aide, he knew everybody's name. What warmed my heart though was that they all knew his name as well. There can be no better

feeling for a parent than to know the environment at their child's school is so open and warm.

So school is off to a good start. Piano lessons, after a month's hiatus, will start again in September. A social skills group is being formed with Elijah as one of its members. And every day as school lets out, he insists on hugging at least two classmates and talks excitedly about going back to class the next day. We know it is going to be a journey with Elijah, but he appears to be raring to go!