1st Grade is Hard

Goob's transition to first grade has been anything but easy. He no longer has a bathroom in his classroom but instead gets to walk down the hall and go with other boys----this is a problem. He also has to read, do math, spelling, phonics and scripture memory every night-----this is a time filler and a problem. He also is going to officially be a Harvell next Wednesday and is having mixed feelings-----creating meltdowns for us at unexpected times and putting him on edge at school.

Therefore, we haven't been getting stickers for good behavior this week or last. As a mom it kills me to see the defeated look in his eyes every day when he gets to my classroom. I just want to walk over and tell his teachers "really, he has to be good ALL day long, I can't even be good ALL day long.....give him a stinkin break".      Now you see why I don't teach 1st grade right?

I also found out today the reason he kicked a little girl earlier this week. She told him that he was an orphan.........to be honest, I would have knocked her out myself. I understand that 6 year olds know nothing about adoption but way to squash his little heart, during an already sensitive time. This encouraged me to speak to all of the other mothers and his teacher today at a meeting. Goober wants me to bring in cupcakes next Tuesday to school to celebrate his "gotcha day" but he wants me to explain adoption to everyone. He says the kids don't think its a good thing and he is nervous. Each mom was so great to assure me that they will make sure their child knows that this is a happy day for Goob and to be joyful for him.

He has also been giving away the Honduran money he got from his grandparents. I let him start taking his wallet to school this week--it makes him feel like a big guy. Come to find out he is taking and giving out wads of money to his classmates. After everything else we have dealt with this week, when I found that out I just scooped him up and told him " Goober, I am so proud of you for sharing"...that got a laugh out of him and the other moms....I figured I had to find the good in him because I know there is so much of it there and I know that sharing that money was done with good intentions.

Its almost a step back though for us.  We are carrying out punishments that come with misbehaving at school, because he needs to obey authority no matter what..but boy does it ache when you have read his past history and can see direct connections and are steadily trying to undo 6 years of a crappy life that was unfairly dealt to him.

My prayer for Goober is that he will come to see that he is a sinner and that through all of this he needs Christ. I hope that he will look back over the last three weeks and see a mom and dad who tried to show him unfailing, unconditional love that mirrors what we are shown as Christians. Lately, my heart has been aching for Goob and that has led to many good discussions between the two of us on the way home about how our actions mirror our heart and how everytime we sin we are outside of the safety net of God and he hurts for us to come back.