Well, this year is almost over and the kids are handling it in two TOTALLY different ways. Jack has never been what you would call an Academia type person. He goes to school and likes it (at least this year), but there are other things he'd rather do if given the choice. Caroline on the other hand LOVES school. If you look back at Jason's blog on the first day of school her kindergarten year, you'll see in her face just how excited she is about school. Granted, in the mornings she'll grumble until she wakes up, then every thing is grand. She has enjoyed and absolutely LOVED her teacher this year, as is the pattern (she loved her teacher last year). She is going to dearly miss Mrs. L, but will get over it as soon as she hits second grade. She'll still think Mrs. L is awesome because she thinks Mrs. G (her kindergarten teacher) is awesome but this year Mrs. L hung the moon.
Jack has improved in leaps and bounds compared to last year. He did well last year all things considered, but he has grown up a lot this year. His teachers and family have helped guide him through this turbulent year. I honestly believe that having the writing TAKS test this year was a blessing in disguise. Almost all of his stories centered around his feelings about his dad and his dad's death. It was a nice outlet for him on top of his outside counseling. He got more organized, it helped that he had his entire (and I mean entire) desk in his backpack. He hardly ever left anything at school, and believed the world would end when he did. He made sure I signed his planner, take home folder, and learned about the importance of doing homework when he was supposed to if he expected help. That was a difficult battle, but he figured it out. He has learned alot about what a friend truly is, and stands up for himself and others when he thinks there is mistreatment involved. He learned where babies came from and how they were made because he began to ask questions after he learned his teacher was pregnant. Surprisingly enough he wasn't grossed out, but patiently listened to the answers that I gave him. Although, he did say he really wasnt' interested in any of it until after college (Maybe it helped that I told him he could go to jail if he had sex with someone under the age of 18). He has learned that there are different types of love and that the heart has room for a lot more than he thought. He has confided in me that he likes a certain girl in his class, but he won't reveal her name. He knows that if his sister finds out she'll blurt it out to the whole world because he's teased her about a certain boy in her class. He knows, although doesn't like it, that turn around is fair play. He has become more insightful this year. He'll often ask questions about where his dad is and why he went. He has searched for answers himself in his world and in his knowledge about how things work. He has asked me several times about what I think, and is open to the fact that he should come to his own understanding of how God works in our lives. I encourage that because everyone has differing opinions on that topic, and that's how it should be.
Caroline is doing better. Of course, she excels at school and enjoys being responsible. She feels pressure to be on green every day, and is utterly shocked when we discuss why she gets on yellow and come up with a plan about how to avoid that in the future. She assumes I'll be angry, because she's heard from other kids what happens when they come home with a yellow. She is coming to an understanding, albeit slowly, that you can't always be perfect all of the time and that sometimes it gets to be too much. When she has a hard time at school with a subject, I try to help her understand that it will sometimes be difficult. I'm hoping that she will learn good study habits and strategies to use when things get difficult in school. It has come so easy for her that I don't want her to get complacent and then give up easily when the going gets a little tougher. She is still having a hard time understanding her feelings about losing her dad, but she's getting better about vocalizing how she's feelings instead of saying, "I just miss daddy." It's hard for her to see other girls with their fathers, knowing that hers isn't physically with her. She does, however, believe he's with her all of the time. She too, is coming to an understanding that love looks differently for different people. I try extra hard to let her know that I love her more than anything else in the world, and that I'd do anything for her. She has made progress in the sleeping over department. She is making progress in every area, it's just that what has happened to her over the last year is extremely difficult for anyone, especially little kids.
But the year's almost over and the fun will begin. And the rest. Above all the rest.
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