Better than expected

This coming Saturday it will be 4 weeks since luv came to live with us.

Maybe some of you are wondering...how is it going? The answer to that is better than expected. Maybe we are negative people, but we decided to prepare for the worst.  That way, we wouldn't be shocked and dissapointed when she showed us her other side.

If you have been to any adoption classes, you will recognize the saying, "honeymoon period."

We aren't quite sure if she is in the honeymoon period still, or if that time is coming.

I'm trying to be positive, to look on the bright side, to see the good before the bad.  And it does help. So, if I seem to only rave on about good things and give everyone a false sense of how things are going, I apologize.

We have had our ups and downs.  But we started seeing some challenging behaviors prior to her being placed.  We think the last foster home had a lot to do with that. Having four other little girls her age who throw tantrums and pitch fits all day every day, has to have a little bit to do with it, don't you think?

On her last couple of visits before moving down her permanently, we saw her attitude change, and she began testing us. Her last visit even had a mini meltdown.

Some say that because our transition took soooooo long, that she moved right over the honeymoon period and right into being her real self.

I see a definite pattern.  It seems to build up in her and she seems to need the release of a tantrum or meltdown at least once a week.  Compared to some stories, hers are fairly mild, but they do cause a disruption in the household to be sure.

We had to have her held back too.  She is basically on target with reading, but math is her biggest challenge.  She has areas in math where she dips down into the first grade level.  Luckily, we have her enrolled in a charter school, where they take the time to work with kiddos. She is now in the 2nd grade.  When she moved we tried her in 3rd grade because we were told to....lol.

I visited the class yesterday to bring cupcakes for luv's birthday and she didn't see that I arrived early.  I was allowed to sit in the back of the class and observe. 

I like the teacher and she seemed to have a much better fit into this classroom. Since luv is on the smaller side, and younger too, this is the best place for her. They will be taking her aside and working with her on the math, finding the areas she is missing, and catching her back up.

In the meantime, she is making friends and seems to like it there.

Last night we had a fun night of dancing in the dark with her new flashing light toys and singing before bed.

In her good moments we find joy.

And there really are alot more good moments than bad.

better than expected.