Today Parker called out sick, and Claudia had to take A to the middle school for a meeting, bring him back, and then go BACK for a meeting at 12:30.  That meant I was alone with E and A all day long.  And it was AWESOME.

Skipping some other AMAZING things that happened, let's fast forward to Miss Vicky time, when E started out with, "I'm on Miss E's team.  So there will be a grown-up on each side, and also because it's stupid to put 2 kids on the same side who don't get along".  MEANWHILE, in the real world, they've been getting along GREAT the last month or so, but...shh.  Anyway, about 10 minutes into our half-hour game, he voluntarily switched so the 2 of them were on the same side.  And when A messed up, he encouraged him.  He gave him pointers of what to do.  When A did great, he congratulated him like an adult!  <33

But the one better, the one that brought tears to my eyes... 15 minutes later, at recess.  When I got out there, E was bouncing the basketball on the court.  He stopped and said, "Where's A?" and I told him I had just seen him walking up towards the structure.  And he actually put the ball down and went to go find him. 

Holy shit.  I can't say it more eloquently than that.  I've been waiting for this since September.

I know it doesn't seem like much...but it is.  It really frickin' is.  I KNOW, it was kind of like, "The best I can do right now is the other kid in my program", not a be-all/end-all "I like this kid", but... instead of playing alone, he actively went to go find A and played with him.  I am the happiest teacher in all of America today.  Scratch that; the entire planet.


And as a final nail in my Happy Coffin (maybe not the best way to describe it?  Oops), Nichole called today, and barring any huge incidents the next 2 days, D is being released from his program and might be back with us as early as Monday.  <3