The second day of school went well. Both boys seem happy with school so far, and are just as calm or even calmer in the afternoons. It's still early, so we will see how their behavior goes once they settle in. It will likely improve, although it is also possible that Elisey may start testing boundaries when he feels comfortable.
It's a big burden on the school, one we are keenly aware of: for now, they have to have one staff member with him at all times, to keep him from dashing out of the classroom--again, mostly from excitement--or simply wandering off task. That's a huge drain for a school that already has a lot of special needs children. We all hope that as he learns the culture of school, he won't need this.
Yesterday we had a follow-up visit with our pediatrician. Both boys gained some weight in merely month, Dimcho a pound and Elisey almost three pounds. Since they were at the 5 percentile in size for their ages, this is good news. It's also not surprising, given how much food we have been shoveling into them, all of it healthy food with almost no sugary or salty snacks. They also had to have some shots, which lead to much crying. But actually we were amazed how compliant they were with the shots: neither boy lashed out or tried to run out of the room, even though they knew what was coming. That's huge.
Next week we have an "official" visit from our social worker, who has come several times already, to prepare a required report to Bulgaria on the boys' progress. Although it has been stressful for us, and Elisey is a handful, overall we have to say they are doing well. They eat and sleep well, they receive and seek out affection from us and give affection to us, even exhibit some appropriate separation anxiety. Elisey even is slightly distraught when we leave him at school, which means he is progressing on attaching to us. It's still a long journey, but we are moving forward.
