I am thinking, it is all over now. The long road of recovery is ahead. I am sending you the BEST wishes for a speedy one, recovery that is. Moni

I'm late chiming in here. I think a clear demonstration of HOW to handle this would help him tremendously. Maybe take him WITH you to tell the bus driver, so he can see how you handle it, what you say, what tone of voice you use, and what you propose for a solution from the bus driver. And I would vote no more punishment, actually. The school's punishment seems appropriate, and his hitting doesn't seem that big a deal for a kindergartener being provoked. I think what you've done is enough to make it clear this was wrong (plus, he's a good boy, he already knows it was wrong). Now is the time to help him figure out some truly concrete strategies to deal with this sort of thing. It's all fine and dandy to say "kids should learn to work it out," and "he needs to control himself," but it's not fair to make them figure out the HOWS of all those things by himself. Try some role playing, develop some concrete strategies (the kid starts calling names, and your DS turns to someone nearby him that he knows as friendly, and smiles at them and tries to start a conversation--distracts your son, gives him an ally, reminds him that not everyone around him is mean and hates him, and denies the mean kid the satisfaction of any sort of response. be sure to suggest what he could start a conversation about. Even if you think you're just inventing hypothetical tactics that won't work in the real world, examples help, if only because they teach kids that there *is* an alternative.) And a little sympathy about being picked on and getting in trouble might be soothing and empowering. It's REALLY hard to be the target of meanness like that and to be essentially powerless to make it stop. Because he is powerless to make it stop. The only thing he can do is tolerate it or avoid it. That's hard.

Sending good thoughts and hopes that things will go well, without complications or long term difficulties. Plus some prayers for the measure of healing that may be possible - hopefully fully. Good wishes to both of you and family at this rather tense time. ole joyful

I took some more pictures today. Still a lot of work to be done inside and out, but you can get an idea of what it looks like. This is the view from my front porch. It looks like the new house is directly in back of my blue shed. But as you can see, there's a lot of space between the two. (Just a sliver of the shed is showing at far right.) The angle above is so deceiving! Rolling hills in back of the house are visible at right (with a patch of snow on one of them). Closer shot of some of the detail. The shutters are sort of a brownish mulberry, I'd say. Or maybe a purplish brown? :-) The builders were able to leave some trees near the house.