Adjustments

Life currently for our family is about living with adjustments. Chase is adjusting to a new school, new curriculum, new friends and routine. Riding the bus every morning and afternoon now rather then me driving him. Feeling a bit overwhelmed at the numbers of kids and how much he has to work to get more of the teacher's attention and the ability to be chosen to participate when in group settings. He also thinks that in PE today none of the kids on his flag football team were even really trying like they would have at MACS. He did also say that he probably would have preferred to go to MACS instead had he knew then what he knows now. He also though is excelling at his reading and math. Jeremiah helps tutor him on things he doesn't feel he's 'getting' which he says is because he doesn't get as much participation as he would like when the teacher is instructing the class. He's got an A+ in art and all A's except for one B in all of his studies so far. His teachers have been very good about calling/emailing/communicating with me to help keep him accountable and on track as he continues to be challenged with personal responsibility. He's not constantly having to be nagged to get his AR points but instead is right on with where he should be for his Lexile level because Ms. Pistorius makes sure we know his goal/time frame deadline. Chase thinks shes mean but I find her to be challenging him and he's just thinking she hates him because she doesn't let him get away with things including making sure parents sign everything she sends home for us to see! So all in all I'm satisfied this is all going to work itself out over time and together we'll get through it in a positive way.

Jeremiah & I are both adjusting to more and different responsibility at work. He's been promoted to Senior Network Engineer and is hoping soon for the announcement of being in control of the entire internet department now that the previous manager has left. It's a lot more stress, pressure and never enough time to get everything done that needs to be when short a person as they've not hired someone to fill the void left by Tim. They're working on it but as in all things it takes time. My own job is, as I stated before changing entirely. but up until tomorrow I've not been able to get the training I will need to take on something I really have no experience doing! The wait has just made me more anxious now to just get on with learning it because waiting is even more frustrating I think. Plus I really hate not knowing enough about things they are expecting me to take control of and hopefully develop good processes for to straighten out our inventory issues. Watching a couple tutorials today though nearly put me to sleep though! Man that guy's voice is monotone and just leaves me drowsy. But I felt like I had to do something to get a jump on learning. Either way these changes are definitely all about adjusting to new challenges for both of us.

Shawn has been adjusting to many changes in his life. Not only adjusting to weather, but living arrangements, a new job, many expectations to work on himself emotionally as well as financially. We all know how much a challenge it is to learn budgeting, self sufficiency and just navigating our way through our early twenties. This weekend he was ill and came down with bronchitis. Having insurance was something new to him as well. Luckily he could go to urgent care sat afternoon and still only pay a $20 copay for treatment. I've still not gotten the RX card updated though for him at work so I had to pay up front but am hoping now that I talked with our HR person about it that she can get it straightened out and I can have walmart rerun the claims through my insurance for a bit of savings. He has a new girlfriend too and were all adjusting to getting to know her and she us. We all cooked family meals all last weekend together, watched Chase bowl and I hope that things continue to go well for all of us. It's really refreshing when Shawn shows interest in learning to cook more and in wanting to cook with me. It's one area I do love and sharing that love with him would be amazing to experience. We've all had entirely too much time away from each other for far too long though to think it's all going to be butterflies and kittens all the time. We have much to learn about communicating, compromise, getting to know one another better and just generally learning how to live more closely together as a healthy, happy family. As time goes by we realize just how much damage was done by his other families lies, misunderstandings and general lack of a healthy home environment. We cannot expect him to not have a period of adjustment after living through all of that. Helping him to be able to communicate his feelings, what he needs and whats bothering him more easily and with less of an angry tone is a big adjustment for me personally. There's so much that I don't know that he's thinking or feeling and so much of my own pain still from years suffering my own abuse by his Father's actions/choices. I wouldn't change this opportunity for the world though to have hope for a better future and healing for all of us. In order to do that though we'll need to continue to make the necessary adjustments and bob and weave when necessary!