how sweet it is: 2015

Sunday, May 31, 2015

6 more days!!

Having 3 kids 4 and under means I don't do a lot of things I used to do. Like blog. It makes me sad because I want to remember all these little things and stay in touch with family, but an occasional update will have to do for now. So here it is!

Ethan

Ethan spent this school-year, 4th grade, in Ohio with his dad and stepmom. It was an agonizing decision for us to make, since he'd been with me the majority of the time (besides holidays and summers) since he was little. He's always had a hard time in school with behavior and we've tried lots of different things to try to help him. It broke my heart when his teachers would tell me that he didn't have any friends because kids thought he was kind of a bully. He fought with the kids on our street and couldn't ride the bus because of it. It was interfering with his schoolwork because he would be trying to talk to someone and not know what he was supposed to be doing. And it was just getting worse, despite everything we were trying at home and with his teachers. I know what a sweet heart he has and I just don't know to help him let others see that side of him.

Since Ethie's a lot like his dad, we decided it might be time to try letting him live there in Ohio. Plus his stepmom Aubrey is wonderful and I trusted that they would both help him as much as they possibly could. And he's had a great year! His teachers have said that they don't see all the problems that were on his OK and GA school records. He has made some friends and is doing well with his schoolwork. I think it helps that he switches classrooms for every class, so he is constantly moving and changing. He also has some good medicine for ADHD that has been a blessing for him (after avoiding it for a long time). He still struggles at times, but I think the change was what he needed for right now.

Jared and Aubrey have been so good about keeping me updated and sending pictures and letting him facetime with us a lot, so the other kids get to see him. We all miss him a lot and it's so different without him here, but he will be here in 6 more days for the entire summer and we are so excited!!!