IQ's and AIT Revisited - More soup please.

So, about my last post.... I have more information. I don't think that I have ever mentioned this before, but another family had Meghan's referral before we got it. This other family was busy jumping through hoops trying to get all their paperwork together and dealing with American social workers who were dropping the ball on the Homestudy. Anyways, because of this, they lost the referral. We had no idea about any of this when we saw Meghan's file and sent in our letter of intent. We were Homestudy ready and even already had our fingerprints done. So Chung Yi dropped this other family and gave her to us. Through the magic of the Internet I actually became friends with this other family- neither of us knowing about our Meghan connection. Last summer we eventually shared pictures and names of our kids and the other mom told me the whole story. It was strange at first, awkward and kind of sad. But I am happy to say that this other family ended up adopting another girl and actually brought her home 6 weeks before we got home with Meghan.

So to make a long story short, this family had a little more information in their referral file than we did- about our own daughter. They actually had the results of the IQ test. She forwarded me her whole file. I even got to see these cute pictures that I didn't have and read an old update that I didn't have.

I would have loved to have had these pictures. It's amazing how the files can differ!
You can tell these pictures were taken back in Taiwan by her fingers.

Back to the story:

As it turns out, that notorious IQ test that I was so mad about was not given to her when she was 5 right before she came home. The test was given to her when she just turned 4, and had only been in the orphanage a few months. Now I am taking it with even a smaller grain of salt. Oh by the way, it also says that she has ADD/ADHD. Uh, once again- first time this information is crossing my path. But still- grain of salt.

To top it off I had another meeting at Meghan's school last week. The meeting was with the student intervention team. Everyone says that yes, she is behind but her learning curve is practically vertical and she is learning and retaining so much information. I mentioned the IQ test and they all were shocked and said that was no way correct. I believe them. While she can be difficult, defiant and a real stinker, she is definitely smart. She loves to play outside, but she can sit still and is not bouncing off walls. She can sit at the computer for hours. She can sit through a television show. She can sit through a story in a book. She does not like to color. She will not sit still and color with other little girls. She wants to be playing more actively with the boys, whether it's basketball, or crawling on the ground growling like dinosaurs. But I don't think that is enough to call her ADHD.

So anyways, I am not going to think about that dumb report anymore. Instead I am going to enjoy her accomplishments and love my daughter. Same thing with her speech. Since she has been home she has not been able to pronounce our dogs' names. Alex and Roxy were Alse and Wahssy then it became Alice and Rossy. I thought it was just going to be Alice and Rossy from now on. But last night during prayers Meghan said God bless ALEX and ROXY. I was so proud of her. She did it all on her own, I myself was beginning to like Alice and Rossy.

These pictures were all taken at the stables near our house today First time on a pony - I think.

Thrilled to be on the horse...pony. I thought she wouldn't want to do it when we first go there. She seemed a little apprehensive at first but then she saw all the other kids riding and she wanted to try. I am so proud of her. She is such a joy (most of the time).