~~~~~~~~~~~~~
are we adjusting
is ev-e-ry-thing normal
today we find out
no joke culture shock
thailand’s not america
that’s not suprising
kids are still having
occasional crying jags
don’t know how to help
think that it’s best to
look to the professionals
help us get through this
~~~~~~~~~~
today we, the kids and i that is, head off for a head check. the kids are going to meet with someone while i’m meeting with someone else. and then i get to meet with both of these someones to see what’s next.
so far c14 really seems to be doing great. my only concern about him is that he seems to have developed some sort of funky accent. i have a tendency to mimic the accents around me, not intentionally, sometimes i don’t even realize i’m doing it and i think he might do the same. it seems that c14 apparently is turning japanese, i think he’s turning japanese, i really think so… okay, well, maybe not japanese, but you get the idea. however, i am worried that maybe there is something hovering just under the surface, waiting to break or crack or whatever it’s gonna do.
a11 is doing okay at this moment. but that might not be true for the exact moment we walk into the counselor’s office or even the exact next moment from this exact moment. things change quickly with her.
s8 hated thailand before he got here and this hasn’t really improved at all. he has good moments, but when he’s having a bad moment – it’s bad. it’s heartbreaking.
hopefully today we will get a bit of help. really, i think for the kids someone other than their parents saying this is normal will be very helpful, but also some tools to help process all of this.
bh isn’t left out of all this because we think he’s doing all that great, he’s left out of this fun because he isn’t here to participate. he gets back saturday from a two week jaunt to india and singapore. and this time his being gone has been so much better than mongolia. no freak-outs on my part. it has helped that i have had some contact from him, but i think the biggest difference has been that i have been so very busy informing the whole of thailand that i farted.
glad you are getting help! great parents you are. i bet everyone will feel better when nana gets there! a little bit of home right to your front door!
i’m so glad i was able to find help! and every day i hear, when is nanny coming?
At least you have the excuse of culture shock for your children….
we would have gone sooner, but were looking for a good excuse!!
I can’t imagine the adjustment it must be for kids to move to such a foreign environment. You’re a good mom, making sure everyone is healthy. The poems were great too. I love writing poetry to help express things that run deep.
chanda – i know we are so blessed to have great kids. and they, well at least 2 out of 3 of them, do really want to like it here. the third is just gonna take some time and maybe convincing!!
thoughts are with you at this time. I hope it goes well and you all get a lot out of it.
On a less serious note.. weird its Friday for you and its still yesterday here.
ng – thanks. and i still can’t keep track of the time/day difference. i get so confused!!
Good for you for taking some positive action. Hang in there and things will get better. Especially since you seem to have gotten over your flatulence.
thanks, melissa. yes, the world is a much better place when you’re not all gassy!
First, thanks for visiting. And secondly, hope things go well for you and the kids. Sometimes changes are good. They shake you up, rattle you around a bit, and then spit you out all clean and looking like new.
wonder if they might spit me out all clean and looking like new and skinny!!?!
Yep, culture shock is real. For me, funny enough, reverse culture shock when I returned home to the States after 3 years in Japan is what really got me. I don’t know anything about how kids process culture shock compared to adults, but I can imagine that it’s a pretty big thing, and I’m glad that you are making sure everyone gets what they need. Hopefully that will translate to enjoying the experience that much more.
And the farting thing? Hilarious!
i have heard that it’s just as hard if not harder going back. i try not to think about that because we have no idea when that might be…
That is rough on all of you. I think you are doing the right thing by seeking help. Good luck….
toni – thanks!
All will work out. It never hurts to look down other avenues just to make sure things are the normal. I’ll watch for an update.
i agree. it’s just nice knowing the resources are there!
I’m sure it will all work out. Adjustments take a while.
Happy Friday!
happy friday to you, too!!
good for you for seeking the help you all need.
hope this does the trick for you all.
thanks, janet! at the very least we are moving forward!
ok~i reposted using my WordPress account because the other one just isnt doing what i need it to do .. my haiku is too in there.. its just short and weak because i have heartburn and by the time i got done writing all that lead up to my haiku i felt as if i were having a heart attack .. blah.
why do i need to pray at work.. i’ll blog that later
thanks for the tip on Dooce.. I shall visit there soon!
i’ll go check it out. and i can’t figure out how to get to bossy’s archives. i click the link and it shows me the old dates but the current post…
I once moved from Idaho to Arizona, from a town of 3,000 people to a large metropolitan area where all the towns run together into one big metroplex. That was enough culture shock for me. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to live somewhere as different as Thailand. Good luck to all of you in adjusting to this change. (I’d send you some of our snow and cold wind if I could.)
thanks. and if i could figure out how to get the snow and cold wind here i’d take you up on it!
You are all going through so much right now…Help is always good.
And you haiku’d it..talent.
thanks, jj. haiku is good for the soul. hard to be too worried when your counting those syllables.
Smart you are to seek
help with this ‘transitional’
living circumstance.
I hope all goes well
with the ‘visits’ … receiving
just the help needed.
Hugs and blessings,
My Haiku Friday posts this week are:
Joyful Burst of Color and
Of Oddities and Change
story – thanks! and the appointment was most helpful!
What was the reaction you were given when you said you farted!?
I hope talking out the repressed feelings will help all three of you. And, isn’t your mom coming soon?
the reaction was normally a little bit of surprise. which it thought was because my ability to say excuse me was so good. hmmm…
the counselor was good and yes, my mom gets her in a month!
This is a huge adjustment for you all. Getting help is wise.
kathryn, i’ve don’t know that i’ve ever been labeled wise before. *patting myself on the back*
Good ‘ku! I hope the “head check” went well…
thanks. the head check was very good!
Darn. Good luck!
thanks, tumble!
That’s rought, but I KNOW you will persevere! Great ku.
thanks, mg!
I hope you guys get what you need. That has to be tough. Good ‘ku.
And a sidenote? the “I farted” is absolutely awesome.
thanks, mama db.
Hope all goes well!
And I agree, “I farted” is awesome!
thanks, bren!
I think dragging your kids halfway around the world is a good thing. They are not timid mayflies… they won’t break. I’m sure it sucks, especially in 100 degrees and without the adult understanding of time and how this will all go by so fast – I bet you can’t even relate to that, now! I know that’s no consolation. But, how exciting that your Mom is coming out! Does that mean visitors would be welcome? Maybe I’ll bring my boys on over and say, “See? Aren’t you glad I can’t drag you halfway around the world?” (They are 19 today!) I think they’d like the food, though.
yes, more than happy to have visitors!! i know it’s a good thing we’ve forced those kids to relocate like this, but there are those moments, where i wanna shout, “what was i thinking?”