Sorry is a feeling.

Erika had a rough morning, like she hasn't had in a while (I won't go into detail, but here is an example of what a rough morning can look like). By the time the bus came, I was holding her hand and escorting her down the driveway, while she tried repeatedly to kick me. The bus driver watched as I expertly dodged those kicks, until finally, Erika pulled away from my grip and ran away in the opposite direction of the bus.

Clearly, this was not going to be a great day. I told the bus driver that I'd be driving her to school this morning. Good call on my part, because the bus driver informed me that she could not allow her onto the bus if she was exhibiting these kinds of behaviors prior to boarding. Fair enough.

The car ride to school
I have no idea why things are so rough on the bus right now. It's tempting to drive her to school for the rest of the school year, although I currently have a 9 a.m. class twice a week, so that's not really an option until my semester's over. Let's face it, any parent knows that by her not getting on the bus and me driving her to school, it is possible that I am rewarding (and even encouraging) the unwanted behavior. But I can't really look at it like that right now…her behavior prevented them from transporting her today, so I had no choice in it this time.

Erika had no problem getting in the car to go to school. She was neither defiant nor aggressive. She was very matter-of-fact about it. Once it had been decided that the bus was not an option for today, I also took it all in stride. She had tried to kick me and hit me while waiting for the bus, but now all was calm, and I was more than ready to embrace that.

Welcome to Erika's World - Mom's Blog

Welcome to my first blog post. Whether you are in contact with Erika every day at school, or you are a friend or family member, I hope you will find this blog to be a valuable way to stay in touch with the most up-to-date news in Erika's world. Please check back frequently. You can access this page directly from the Erika's World home page. This is my first commitment to blogging, and I feel that it's the best way to keep everybody informed for Erika's benefit.

As I promised Erika's teacher, I would like to share a link to an Elmo's World segment (forward to 4:20) which Erika has been watching quite a bit lately. If you have spent any time with Erika over the last few weeks, you will undoubtedly recognize some of the phrases from this short clip, as Erika has been incorporating them into her repertoire of echolalia.