Living With Meghan

That is what we have been doing these past few months.  Living with Meghan.  In case you have been wondering.  In case anyone is still out there reading. 

I thought I was done blogging.  I thought that the blog had run its course.  Then, earlier today, I sat down and re read my blog and most of the comments.  I realized how thankful I was that I had this "memoir" to help me look back.  Because time gets fuzzy and the details fade.  And I realized that I missed my blog friends.  I missed reading about their families and sharing our ups and downs. 

I don't know why I quit, I think because Blogger got so hard for me to navigate with my dilapidated laptop.  But that is no reason to quit so, I am back.  I don't know for how long, but I'm back.  I just wonder if anyone is still out there.

So lets do a bit of catching up.  I think it has been (gulp) 4 months.  What's that August?  Well, we started homeschooling and it is going surprisingly well.  Meghan really is very compliant with doing her work and it is actually easy.  At least the Math, Bible and Language Arts.  We are cutting the science in half as much of it goes over her head.  The history is pretty much a waste of time too and I find myself having to do a lot of paraphrasing due to language gaps.  I mean, they are talking about Pharaohs and papyrus, scribes and magistrates.  The child doesn't even know what a pyramid is.  We have to go back to basics.  As for science- habitat, nocturnal, carnivorous etc.  Let's just say there is a lot of background info to cover before we can even begin the curriculum.  But her behavior is very favorable and we can get the work done in a timely manner.  I am now able to leave her with a math page, challenge her to complete it well and go take a shower.  She will sit there diligently and finish each problem- front and back.  I actually think she is pretty good at math.  Her reading is really good.  But she still has major learning gaps.  She can add 43 +56, but she can't tell you what number comes before 6 without writing the numbers 1- 10.  She can add 43+ 56 if she sees it on paper but if I ask her orally to add 7 + 2 she is lost.  What type of delay/learning disability/auditory processing/  issue is that?  I'm not going to worry about that right now.  Right now I am teaching her ways to work around the issues.  Like writing the numbers 1 - 10 at the top of her page.  I'm sure that's frowned upon at the schools, but it's working.

Meghan started ballet and preformed in the Nutcracker as an English Tea Cracker this November.  She was not the worst one up there.  Very proud.



 

 

For Halloween I took Meghan to Target and told her she could pick out any costume.  She had been talking about a princess costume only not just any old princess but a fairy princess .  Well, she saw the Supergirl costume and the princess was out the window, again.  At least it was the pink Supergirl this year.

 

 

Things have been pretty good with Meghan.  She does not have any tantrums.  She looks us in the eye when she is getting reprimanded.  Her sentences are long and about 80% grammatically correct.  She knows what the rules are and only gets in trouble when she intentionally breaks one.  I would say that her most common correction is for not listening.  She does not get in trouble but she does get a talking to.  It could be about anything.  Put your shoes on we are leaving.  (10 minutes later - no shoes).  Put your coat in your room (10 minutes later - coat lying in entry hall).  You can ONLY watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse  (10 minutes later- Sponge Bob is on).  That sort of stuff.  And it happens daily, almost hourly.  Again we scratch our heads and wonder, "Is this developmental/chemical/willful - or just her?" 

 

Developmentally and emotionally I would say Meghan is on level with a 5 year old.  In fact maybe a little older.  I have 8 kindergarten and 1st graders in my CBS Children's class.  Meghan fits in perfectly.  She is the oldest.  I have considered putting her in 1st grade next year (again) at the Christian School that my boys attend.  They said they would accept her as a 1st grader despite the fact that she will be 8 in June.  I wonder if she will ever catch up or if she will always be 2 years behind.  She definitely is not as mature as the other1st graders I know.

 

Orphan Behaviors have definitely subsided.  November 18 was our 2 year family day.  Meghan is now a lot quieter.  She does not act up in public to get attention.  When strangers talk to her she always looks at me first before she answers.  She doesn't interrupt conversations.  She does not snatch or grab toys.  But she does always seem to be confused.  I think she tries so hard to do what she thinks we want her to do that she is over anxious about doing the right thing.  For a while we were dealing with teeth grinding.  I am now telling her every day that I am proud of her.  I want to build up her confidence in a healthy way. 

 

This post was sort of an overview of where we are. Sometimes we get frustrated with where we are.  We think that Meghan should be farther along.  If I hadn't seen her birth certificate with my own eyes I would swear she was born in 2006 (7) not 2005.  And what I don't understand is that she is reading so well and doing the math so well.  But her speech is still muffled, and baby talk sounding.  And her conversations are anything but deep.  But I will admit that going back and reading the blog has reminded me of where we were.  And considering that, where we are is not so bad.