Monday

Well it's Monday.  Cash has Influenza B and Caleb and Carson got thrown-up on at preschool.  Yuck!  Peyton had to ride the bus to school by herself, without Cash being there with her.  I talked to her about it in advance and she said "ok mommy."  This girl just blows me away sometimes with how far she has come and how fast she has learned to speak English.  She was so excited to go to school today because the kids in her after-school class got to go bowling.  She had never been before and she had so much fun.  When I asked her about it she said, "watch, this is how I do it mommy."  She is amazing!

Caleb has decided that the honeymoon is over and it is time to test the waters.  Since I am in the middle of reading The Connected Child I have been able to work with him in a very positive way.  If you have not read this book, especially if you plan to adopt, you need to.  I wish I would have before we adopted.

Since Caleb will be starting Kindergarten this Fall, we have decided to teach him to sit in one spot for a certain amount of time (not really very long for a child his age) and reading to him, or having him watch a movie, or working with him on his letters, numbers etc. (Also, the preschool he attends is having a problem with him wanting to wander around the room during reading time.) Because there really was no educational structure for him at his orphanage, he has no idea what is expected of him like most kids his age do.  Well, in Caleb's mind, 30 seconds is enough time to sit still.  It is not that he runs from one thing to another either.  It seems like he just gets bored and walks around checking things out.  If we try to make him stay in one spot for a little while longer he will hang his head, sulk and then blow snot out his nose letting it hang way down past his chin.  I know, GROSS!! He also does not like to make eye contact with me if he knows he is doing what he is not supposed to.  Even when I go to him and gently lift his chin to look at me he will push down as hard as he can so I can't lift his chin.  We have also put him in time out a couple of times but I sit right there by him and tell him to say "ready" when he is ready to talk about what he did.  It usually doesn't take too long and I hear this little voice say "wedy".  He seems to understand what he did and I try as simply as possible to tell him what a better choice would be.  I sometimes think to myself, Caleb, I am not one of your nannies, I am your mama and I see your worth.  In my eyes you are so bright and oh, sweet boy my love for you will never end. He really is doing so well considering everything.

~Tina

playing with his Innotab

sweet Peyton