Alona should really be in the 6th grade Sunday School class, but at our church that is part of middle school and a rather large group. Even though Alona is 12 years old her maturity level is much younger and so we think she fits better with the younger group.
Alona has also been taking swimming lessons for a while and the coach asked if we would like to put her on a novice swim team. Since she wants to swim everyday anyway, we decided to do it. She practices one hour a day three times a week. This helps get rid of some of her excess energy, and also is helping her learn how to socially interact (correctly) with kids her age. I think at her orphanage it was basically a dog eat dog world. She is really liking the practices and has already made a couple friends.
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| Pink swim cap and swimsuit...,happiness |
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| Alona getting ready to practice her diving |
Homeschooling..., it is not something I ever thought I would do; but we feel like this is what we need to do for Alona right now. I am not a teacher and I had no idea where to begin. With the help of a friend and a lot of prayer we are attempting it. So far it actually has been better than I expected. Alona has said numerous times that she is not smart. When I ask her how she knows this she said because the director of her orphanage and the teacher told her. Well she now is realizing that that was a lie. Her eyes just light up when she finishes her math problems and gets them all right. I do have a problem keeping her focused sometimes, so I tell her to go ride her bike and come back in 5 minutes and this actually has been working. Our friend, Julia, who helped us with translation when we use to call Alona in Ukraine has come to my rescue again. She is working with Alona one afternoon a week. She is an awesome teacher and very creative (which I am not).
Last but not least, we redid Alona's room. We did not redecorate Alona's room before we went to Ukraine because I thought it would be more comforting for her to return to a familiar room. She slept in that room both hosting trips and seemed to like it, but that changed when we brought her home. Every night she was scared and would come in our room and sleep on floor without even a pillow. The reasons for being scared seemed to change nightly. Finally one day she said that she wouldn't be scared if she had a little bed like at the orphanage. Of course she also slept with 11 other girls in one room. But we decided it was worth a try to redo her room and let her help pick everything out. So out went the big bed and in went a twin bed with a trundle. She picked out a comforter that is turquoise, pink and white. We repainted the room and let her help. She wanted a bright pink, but we compromised with a color called blush that is still too pink for me (I am more of a brown & green girl), but she loves it. She also has slept every night in her room!!
