Alex Update....

Alex and I have a regular routine of working on English right after school - 5 days a week. He does one English worksheet, writes 3/4ths of a page in his journal and then reads a story and takes a comprehension test on line. Right now he's testing on a 4th grade level. 

He doesn't love this extra studying but he has an awesome attitude about it and he is improving everyday. (It helped that I am giving him I-pod or computer privileges each day he gets everything done with 5 or less mistakes in his journal.)

I've printed off all kinds of worksheets. Some have him correct sentences, some have him put sentences in the proper order, some are on synonyms, homophones, the works. I found some that are very easy about expressing yourself but he HATES talking about his "feelings", so I knew these would be left at the bottom of the pile and only completed when all the others were. 

Well? We must be getting to the end of the pile. 

I wanted to document a little of his progress and cuteness.

He had to complete the following sentences.

I wish I was a superhero.

I hope I will never get introuble.

 I never smoke.

I am worried about my parents.

I love cookies.

I enjoy video games.

I get upset when I get video games taken away.

I promise to obey.

I used to be an orphone.

I am happy about my family.

I couldn't help but ask him why he worries about his parents?  He just shrugged. He doesn't like to talk about these sorts of things but I think he's afraid something will happen to us? I know he gets anxiety when we travel and he never forgets to pray for James when he's away at work. He prays that he is safe and warm. Even in the hot, hot summer - he prays that James is warm.  

I wish I could help him feel safe. I've tried to explain that even if something happens to us, that he would still have a family and be taken care of. 

I also wanted to share today's journal entry. For those of you who have followed from way back, I hope you notice marked improvement. This is his entry before corrections.

(Today's entry was especially sweet.). 

On Sunday I got my Life and I felt so happy because I am one step from being Eagle. 

My Eagle is going to be diliviring packiges to my old orephange. I think this project is going to be awesome. The hard part is getting all the stuff and doing the packets.

I am excited for this project because we might go to Ukraine to diliver the bags of stuff.

After that we are going to go visit my Ukraine brother. By the way this was all my moms idea.

I am grateful that I get to do these fun things with my family and my scout members.

I am also grateful for my mom for giving me this good idea.
I am grateful that they make Eagle packets because that helps me with my Eagle planning.

I have had to remind him to tell people we MIGHT go to Ukraine right before he wrote this.(I overheard him telling the piano teacher that he IS going to Ukraine.) He and Rylee are telling everyone that they ARE going to Ukraine - like it's a sure thing. It's not. We are for sure going to get the supplies there but delivering them in person is still up in the air.

First off the cost. Even with my airline discount and second off, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE THAT SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE. When I presented Alex with this dilemma, he told me he was sure he could find the orphanage. I asked if he could get us from the airport, to the train and buy the right train tickets? He sighed and decided that he is going to re-learn his language. (This is turning into some Eagle project!)  Maybe he and Rylee can work on it this summer since they're all fired up about going?

And just to balance out the sweetness of this post, James was looking for his inverter today. Alex had it last. Alex was at school so James went rummaging through his drawers and found this:

 Tools.

James tools.

No inverter.

So he looked through his locker and found  his hammer.

James' hammer.

Then I found the inverter - were Alex left it, plugged in in the back of the car - not returned to where he got it. 

James is not happy.

Then James was looking for the portable DVD and couldn't find the other splitters (notice one is in the above picture)  and I found the other TWO.....in Alex's desk drawer.
Not where the go.

Not where he found them.

Not okay.

So when James left for work I took TWO laundry baskets and cleaned out his drawers and locker and dumped all the stuff I deemed junk - papers, wrappers, half made inventions, little junky toys, elastic bands etc into the baskets. TWO laundry baskets worth and left them on his bed for him to sort.(He threw the majority of it away.)

James called that night about the tools and he is now on probation with tools and cannot borrow a thing without checking it OUT and IN with James.

Oh well......

At least he doesn't smoke!