I received their report cards before winter break (btw - I still think it should be called Christmas vacation, but alas...). Zack is doing extremely well. He got very high marks in all subjects including citizenship. I was not surprised because I monitor what he brings home very closely. I don't, however, help him with his homework because, well, he just doesn't need the help. He likes to do it on his own. When I do check it, it is done correctly so I figure this is a good thing.
Rewind the clock to last year at this time, and I was being called by his kindergarten teacher who was telling me that he should definitely be held back. He was in school tutoring two afternoons a week, and well, in her words, "He just has no attention span". I listened and was very distraught hearing this. I was torn about whether or not I should hold him back, but his teacher was so adamant.
When I first met Zack, he was doing puzzles very quickly and easily. He colored beautifully and his comprehension skills were amazing. He seemed to be on his mark. I always thought he was very bright, but when the kindergarten teacher kept calling, I became worried about all of the horror stories you hear about how some adopted kids struggle.
This brings me to Sophia's report card. Her report card mimics Zack's report card last year! She knows 16 out of 26 letters, and she does not recognize many of her numbers. Her writing is a little shakey, and she is full of energy. The teacher says, "She may need to be held back, but first let's try after school tutoring". So, Sophia is going to tutoring on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for about 30 minutes.
I would be extremely worried if I hadn't lived through what I lived through with Zack. Add to that the fact that Sophia is 6 months younger than Zack was at this time last year. So she may be just fine!!! I won't know until I give her time to mature a bit and to get the "toddler" time out of her system. She has great comprehension skills and is very driven so I think she has the makings of someone who will be a good student. Only time will tell. There are no guarantees, but this mom is not worried.
Even if she doesn't reach the high scores that Zack has reached, she is a bright girl with so much drive and the beginnings of true "street smarts". She's very kind hearted, but she knows how to make things happen and is not lazy in the least. These are good signs as well.
The other things I continue to do with Sophia to nurture her in ways that she missed:
- I feed her at least half of each meal! She loves it and still needs it!
- I spend 2 hours a day with just her...meaningful time...exercising...talking...observing nature...reading...communicating...teaching her...
- Co-sleeping. Some may think that this is over the line for a five year old, and I would agree if it were a five year old who was not in an institution during baby and some toddler years.
If you were to meet Sophia or if you have met her, you know she is a well adjusted wonderful little person. She is EXTREMELY outgoing, loves ear lobes, has endless energy, is a tad bossy, but is as sweet as can be. What I don't want my readers or me to lose track of is that there is a TON of work that goes into helping little people become well-rounded healthy adults.
With Zack, he seems to have been less affected by being in an institution. He came home as a very happy kid. Right now what I am working on with him is likely to mirror what any mom is working on with her 6 3/4 year-old:
- Being honest in all situations.
- Paying attention to instructions before beginning a task.
- Bicycle safety rules.
- Work ethic through chores and various tasks that make him feel like a "man".
- And, let's not forget learning the rules of baseball!!!
Zack is a pretty testosterone-filled kid! He loves anything sports related and the more extreme the better, but he also LOVES to watch the sunset. He is quick to grab his sisters hand when crossing a street. He notices when the sky is especially blue. He gets pensive when something is bothering him, and his eyes well up with tears when he gets ready to share his feelings! He is my little teddy bear of a kid.
I am so thankful to God for the opportunity to be their parent. It has been such an incredible blessing to me!!! I joke about wanting Zack to go to USC and wanting Sophia to run her own company, but truth is I really do want them to have full lives with the drive and educational background to jump at any opportunity. I realize the only way they'll be able to do all they would like to do is if I help them create the foundation for it in their youth. Lord knows, I had no idea how to make things happen when I was fresh out of high school. I should have had an iron clad plan at that point. I hope that will be different for my kiddos.
I hope this post helps someone out there in blogger land.
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