An update on Thomas...

We haven’t had internet for almost 24 hours, and who knows when we will, but I realized I could type this up and post it when it eventually comes back on.

So Thomas... He’s doing alright.  He has probably had the hardest transition, which is what we expected, as Bereket is so close in age to him.  And yet, emotionally and socially, Bereket is behind, which can lead to some interesting encounters.   Both boys are intensely competitive, and they do best when we can set it up so they are on the same team, competing against an adult or older boy.   They both have a very highly developed sense of “fair” (is that a 6 year old thing?), and of course, life is regularly unfair.  We are trying our best to give each child what they need during this tricky time, but they don’t all need the same things at the same time.

Still, though, generally Thomas is his usual fun self.  He does enjoy having a playmate, even if it doesn’t always work out perfectly.  He has been having a blast playing basketball in the courtyard, and loves Ashe, the boy who lives here, and Sinteyehu, the regular driver here.  He also has gotten over much of his shyness, and when we go to the grocery store or somewhere, he often chooses to wait in the van with Sinteyehu.   He is friendly with people on the street, and is quick to wave and smile if he notices someone trying to get his attention.

Thomas also has passed a lot of time drawing in his notebook.  His drawings are starting to be very detailed:

He also asks regularly for me to “give him some math”.  That is definitely his favorite subject in school – other than PE, of course! He still isn’t really interested in reading, though he’ll end up learning just because he wants to be able to label all his drawings! He loves listening to books read aloud, though.

Thomas is enjoying having his own room, just as a place to get away from Bereket when he is being too intense.  It has me questioning how it will work to have them share when we get home.  Maybe we will set up a room in the basement for Thomas to hang out in, even if he still prefers to sleep upstairs on the bunkbed.  A few weeks ago, he told me he was “Bereket-ed out for the whole week!” which I thought was a pretty accurate way of putting it.  So we try to watch for signs that they need a break from each other and then give them each the space they need.

This feels like a tough update to write, as there really isn’t much to say.  We are having some challenges, but mostly he is his usual self.  I know he is ready to get home, as we all are! 😊