Alex leaping forward

I have always likened Alex's academic ability to progress to a rubber band.  You stretch things out and nothing seems to move forward, only backward and then boom - the rubber band shoots forward.  Alex is in the process of shooting forward.  He is leapfrogging forward in reading and he is simply hungry for math.  I am running to keep up.  He is so hungry to learn.

He did a science report on eels this week and helped to dissect an octopus in class.  Totally yuck for me but he loved it.  No, he REALLY LOVED IT!   The teacher gave him portions of the octopus to take home.  Fun.  Like I want Alex to show me the eyes of it.  Yuck.

His sister's class also dissected an octopus and Daria couldn't stop talking about the multiple hearts, etc.  She has learned more about science these last several weeks than she was ever exposed to in public school.  She loves it.  Both of them are signed up for Chinese History next month.  They will love it.  I studied Chinese art and history so I am looking forward to their experiences with the classes.  So much fun.

Our day started very early today because the doctors wanted to do a procedure for my Mom at the hospital that I needed to be there about.  I consented after I talked with my Mom about it but then she refused to comply with the process.  My Mom is back.  :) 

If you looked up stubborn in the dictionary you might find her picture there.  She also is truculent and downright hostile about people, especially strangers, telling her what to do.  And the doctors thought I was the difficult one.  :)  I was simply following orders she had given me in the event of medical emergencies and I was happy to quit the field.  I just sat back with the kids and smiled as they dealt with her and she disposed of them and their ideas to her satisfaction, in short order.  It was sheer joy to watch her back in action.  She even made them give her a Pepsi as a pre-requisite for her to begin eating.  I napped in a rocker with Daria curled up with me and Alex read a book.  A nice quiet day.  After awhile we went home did some school work and then went to swimming class.  Alex is excelling at learning swimming too.

I thank God for my Mom being back.  There are still issues and many, many weeks of antibiotics needed and other medical support to deal with the weeks in the hospital but she is back and we will keep fighting to get her back to normal.  Rather, we will do what she tells us to do and what she will allow.

I strongly suspect that Alex is leaping forward in all areas is because he is no longer in harms' way at school.  Alex is so desperate to move forward and quench that thirst for knowledge I feel like I am still only handing crumbs to a starving child.  He races through his gymnastics class like it will be gone if he doesn't do it fast enough.  I will tell you this though, he never pushes another child, gets in their way or tries to make them move faster.  It is like his internal engines are on high rev and he just doesn't want to miss one more minute of his life.

Even though Alex is no longer in school, the public school district is now doing the testing I first requested in 2009 and then again last Spring.  I haven't seen the results yet, but one of the testers noted to me, a surprised tone, that Alex is a child that always chooses to do the right thing and he is kind.  I have literally being screaming, at some level, about this to them for awhile now.  Alex is this really, really good child.  He does the right thing - his choice, no one elses.  For years I have offered them specialist after specialist to help them understand this gentle child.  Such a kid that is kind and gentle is fragile, especially in light of his history, needs kindness in kind - not be allowed in a classroom where other kids hit.  Alex will respond to abuse in kind.  It was what he was taught in the orphanage when he was too small to fight back and it is what he has been taught in American public schools.  But it is not his preferred response.

When I adopted Alex in 2008, I did not understand what I was seeing.  I have had a lot of specialists and Alex to help me learn.  Now I know.  Now I see.  I can see it with other children.  Alex helped me understand him and other kids dealing with stuff.  Kids are resilient.  They get over stuff.  Remove the trauma, give them support and time and they learn to live with what they know. They become who they are and need to be. 

We are all kind of like that - we learn to live with what we know.  It is a good thing.