Ups and downs

Khalif had an amazing month last month at school.  He got his first IB trait, thinker and followed it up the next month with another one!  He has yet to get one and got 2 in the span of 2 months!  His teacher told me that she has seen a new level of maturity from him as he is trying to make better decisions about his friends and who he hangs out with.  I was very proud of him because a new student started and he befriended him right away, making him feel comfortable.  I was volunteering on the new students 2nd day and asked him how it was going and if he had made any friends and he said yes and he was trying to get Khalif's name out and I helped him (it is an unusual name) and he said yes, that's him!  He can be so sweet :).

The boys also had a couple of swim meets and Khalif has done amazing!  Got 1st place in a couple events and he was so excited and proud of himself.

And then, things can turn so quickly.  He started working on his most traumatic memory a few weeks ago, being taken from his mom at 20 months and put in the police car that took him to social services.  Wow, did things shift!  He wet the bed every night for a week and his challenging behaviors came flooding back.  Even though it is hard, I know it is for good.  If talking about it has that much of an impact on him, then it is clear that he needs to work through it.  I'm thinking he'll be on this memory for quite awhile and in the meantime he is going to have to figure out how to manage himself.  I got an e-mail from the teacher this week that he has been having issues with controlling his impulses in class, so we've talked strategy and hopefully, it will help.  Please pray that God will heal him!