Our Social Butterfly

Carston, our quiet and often timid 7-year old, has blossomed into a social butterfly here in Thailand.  I can't help but chuckle every time he asks for yet another playdate (which is every single day multiple times).  Of course I prayed that all of my children would make good friends here in Thailand, but my biggest concern was Carston.  He is very easy to get along with and never argues with kids, except his brother and sister, but he is very quiet and had to leave his best friend and cousin behind in the US.  As Jesus took the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and fed thousands, He answered my prayer for Carston 10-fold.

Since I expressed concern to his new teacher, she has shared the following about Carston.  Carston is so blessed to have such a sensitive, caring teacher who shares special moments of his day with us!

School Day1: Carston had a good first day.  He was really quiet but he did not seem upset.  I am going to be very mindful of his needs and keep an eye on him.  Sometimes when boys are quiet and soft spoken it is easy to miss when they are having a hard time.  From what I could tell he did not have any issues today and he seemed happy.  During math exploration time he was building and sharing with the other boys in his class.  He really enjoyed listening to stories and his face just lit up when there was a surprise ending to "First day Jitters." 

School Day16:   Carston is doing so great!  He is raising his hand in class, chatting with his friends and working really hard.  My best moment with Carston this week was yesterday.  We were doing  reading groups and we were reading the book Milwaukee Cows.  I told the kids a joke about cows going to the mooovie theater.  Then another little girl told a joke about pasta.  It cracked Carston up! He was trying so hard not to really break into a tummy laugh.  I am such a loud extroverted person it is always fun for me to work with more introverted kids.  I love the way they share their personality on their own terms.

Here are some pics of Carston with some of his new friends.  

One of his first friends here

Playing basketball with neighbor

Two classmates he talks about all the time (I made it a point to get their phone numbers at back to school night)

First sleepover (cracking up to America's Funniest Videos)

Dining with friend at Que Pasa before sleepover

No pictures on the wall = Bouncing the ball off of every single wall in the house

Ready, Set, Bounce!  Who can bounce it the highest?  And remember how high our ceilings are.
Carston is very blessed to have many other 1st grade boys on our street.