WOW! It’s been a
while! Time for the “update”. My adopted
teenager is just that. A teenager! Messy bedroom? Check.
Addicted to TV and videogames? Check.
Still putting stuff back empty in the fridge? Check. The list goes on and on.
We are both looking forward to wrapping up the school year
and starting summer. The laid back “Big Daddy” summer from year one and the “Crazy Camp” summer of year two will hopefully mesh into a “not bored yet not crazy
busy” summer for year three!
For those of you reading from an adoptive parent point of
view, my job as his Mom is slowly changing.
He isn’t the foreign adoptee that needs my advocacy as much
anymore. He’s more of the American teenager
that needs my push to get things done.
Not trying to make him look bad, his behaviors are in the norm. It’s just a different ball game now. Funny story, we finally finished updating the
kitchen a few weeks ago. While painting the cabinets he asked me how much money
he was going to get for working so hard.
I replied back, “Nothing, you get to live here and enjoy this great new
room for free!” His response, “Is it legal
for me to live in the garage?”
Classic Andrés.
The biggest stress he reports is getting lost in his new
High School. That being said, we are
pretty much on easy street. Oral language
acquisition is at least 90% proficient. His
accent doesn’t hinder his speech as much as his low deep voice and quick
talking does!
Andrés continually talks about returning to Colombia for the
Christmas holidays. I ask him where he
will stay, what he will do, and how he will get around. Just making sure he understands the reality
that nobody will really be waiting for him at the airport. He’s got an answer for everything, of course!
The best part of the past 6 months is watching him accept,
enjoy and love the new personal changes in our family dynamic. I wasn’t sure how he was going to react. He’s as open to the changes as anyone could
ask. I’m very blessed on so many levels.
Making friends is still an issue. We talk about trying harder, using some
suggestions on being a little more outgoing and of course using a little sarcastic
humor... Don’t be so stuck up, Andrés!
The making friends thing is taking more time than I thought. Big groups of people are still rough. He gets through it, at least! Baby steps...
Thanks for your support and thanks for reading!
