growing up

it's wonderful and hard all at the same time watching your kids grow up...kwim? I have to say my kids are troopers though...not a lot seems to get them down. In about two weeks we say goodbye to Daddy. He's off again on another 6 month deployment. Sure we hate that he's going...timing sucks big time on this one. I just had my surgery, some of my family will be arriving next month, he misses out going to Barcelona with us, we had to cancel our Christmas cruise, and he of course misses the holidays at home. But even with all that this is the better time for him to go; he doesn't want to be gone another summer and it helps that I'll have more to keep us occupied this time of year with school and all. The lil man of the house handled the news pretty well. When he asked how long it would be and I told him a 6 month-er he said "6 months...we can do that cause we already did it once"....praise God for his optimism! The lil woman of the house doesn't quite know it's a definete thing yet. I'm feeling her out right now for reactions. She was already having troubles that he might just be gone on TDY for a few weeks this is totally different. Yesterday she said if he had to leave for a long time again she'd be okay but you have to realize she was staring intently at her Snoopy movie on TV when she answered me...maybe distraction is key for her LOL Once Daddy has left I will play up the positives...family is coming (they can hardly wait for them to get here already), now we'll get to go home to the states for Christmas (and I can start shopping for some new clothes), Memaw may come back to Italia with us after the holidays and stay a while, and then we'll have more visitors in March when my BFF comes for her spring break!
The other hard part for me in watching my kiddos is regarding their friends or lack their of. I look at my son and I see so much of me in him in regards to this area. It makes me hurt. I know he's liked and has friends at school but outside of that he's hardly asked for playdates and sleepovers. Now I don't do many of those here at home for them only because I don't enjoy them and plus when I have those same friends rarely or if ever reciprocate for my kids. Recently the boy has been having difficulty with a friend. They are calling him names and teasing him. He's not coming home crying but it is hurting him. Now I'm not saying my kid is totally innocent and hasn't done it back, but so far it's in defense of himself not starting the whole thing. He's getting the lessons out of that to be sure. God said turn the other cheek not spit back vile and mean things! It's a hard thing for any 9 year old to learn. My son is different; he is technically labeled as a special needs child due to his ADHD. He's not accepted 100% for who he is by friends and sadly even other adults (some of my friends it's sad to say). His ADHD gives him quirks that most people don't know what to do with. His ADHD also causes us to get on to him more than other kids so he can learn self control (trust me he has it...but he's also a kid LOL). I guess I'm just saddened by the fact that I see in him what I saw and still see in myself...treated as a loner outside of school and church functions. I don't want that for him! I want him to have fun with his friends outside of those places. It's sad when my child is so desperate to play with friends that the ones he ends up seeking out are those that are younger than him (because they accept easier) and even the toddlers next door.
I've been sitting here for a few trying to figure out where to take this post and close it...but nothing is coming. So this post is done.