Missionary Kids
Until a year ago, I had never heard the letters M and K shoved together to make an identifiable group 'MKs' or 'Missionary Kids.' I wasn't a MK growing up, nor did I know any other MKs. Not that we didn't have abbreviations or nick-names around our house - we were PCs (not Politically Correctees - but Pet Coons, as in Pet Raccoons.) PC is still a phrase of delight and identification around our house when we see Papa on skype :).
Anyway, back to the MK discussion. Initially, the idea that MKs were lumped into a category really bugged me. That label, like most labels, generalizes, missing the distinctive of personality. When I think of a MK, I imagine well-behaved, perfect manners, Bible Einstein and so on. And yet, here I sit in a 3-bedroom apartment with 4 MKs who at times can resemble the above characteristics, but often don't. Yikes, what has happened to me?!?
Maybe I'm writing this for my own benefit. My kids are the same as they've always been... a tad bit eccentric each in their own special way, cute, irritating, comical, manipulative :), undecided, hair-raising, and so on; much like their Mommy.
Lately, our youngest has pulled out all of the stops and ripped off that MK label without even realizing he every wore it. Aaron is a handful of boy-goodness all wrapped up in a Davy Crockett package with a ball in one hand, a helicopter in the other and a gun stuck into his shorts pocket. (Well, some days it is a sword because he's Peter Pan.)
He has been having a nightmare of a time at school. Both of our little ones go to a morning bilingual preschool (something of an enigma here). The teachers have always fawned all over Aaron because he is gringo, smiles a bunch and has a friendly 'Hola' for everyone. He does not discriminate with his 'Holas' - everyone in town deserves one and at a high volume, too.
Aaron enjoys a few things about school - food, dancing, food, jumping, food, breaking crayons, food, throwing sand, other peoples' juice, boinking friends over the head with pencils and snack time. Other than that, I truly think he would be really, really happy at home doing home school stuff with the older 2 and me.
Alex and I thought he had probably worn out his cuteness last week. A new school year started this month - our boys were put ahead into classes they would not be nearly ready for in the US. And, in Spanish! I feel the pressure, and I'm sure Aaron does, too.
Today, Alex decided to check in on Aaron every hour to encourage him and, well, bring him home if he couldn't hold it together. He did outstanding today. Yipppeeeee. Are we turning a corner? It is much too early to tell. But we are going to try this 'Daddy Goes to School' thing for another week and then evaluate our long-term options.
As for our other MKs, they are coming out of two weeks off of school. Teacher Mom wants to scream and run for cover at all of the days we've spent 'getting back on track.' Today, Aidan finished writing a biography of Jim Elliot. Arlee is in the early stages of trying out computer-based learning for Language Arts. Adam is thriving and blossoming, a welcome season for our little man.
Overall, these PCs turned MKs seem to be adjusting quite well.
Anyway, back to the MK discussion. Initially, the idea that MKs were lumped into a category really bugged me. That label, like most labels, generalizes, missing the distinctive of personality. When I think of a MK, I imagine well-behaved, perfect manners, Bible Einstein and so on. And yet, here I sit in a 3-bedroom apartment with 4 MKs who at times can resemble the above characteristics, but often don't. Yikes, what has happened to me?!?
Maybe I'm writing this for my own benefit. My kids are the same as they've always been... a tad bit eccentric each in their own special way, cute, irritating, comical, manipulative :), undecided, hair-raising, and so on; much like their Mommy.
Lately, our youngest has pulled out all of the stops and ripped off that MK label without even realizing he every wore it. Aaron is a handful of boy-goodness all wrapped up in a Davy Crockett package with a ball in one hand, a helicopter in the other and a gun stuck into his shorts pocket. (Well, some days it is a sword because he's Peter Pan.)
He has been having a nightmare of a time at school. Both of our little ones go to a morning bilingual preschool (something of an enigma here). The teachers have always fawned all over Aaron because he is gringo, smiles a bunch and has a friendly 'Hola' for everyone. He does not discriminate with his 'Holas' - everyone in town deserves one and at a high volume, too.
Aaron enjoys a few things about school - food, dancing, food, jumping, food, breaking crayons, food, throwing sand, other peoples' juice, boinking friends over the head with pencils and snack time. Other than that, I truly think he would be really, really happy at home doing home school stuff with the older 2 and me.
Alex and I thought he had probably worn out his cuteness last week. A new school year started this month - our boys were put ahead into classes they would not be nearly ready for in the US. And, in Spanish! I feel the pressure, and I'm sure Aaron does, too.
Today, Alex decided to check in on Aaron every hour to encourage him and, well, bring him home if he couldn't hold it together. He did outstanding today. Yipppeeeee. Are we turning a corner? It is much too early to tell. But we are going to try this 'Daddy Goes to School' thing for another week and then evaluate our long-term options.
As for our other MKs, they are coming out of two weeks off of school. Teacher Mom wants to scream and run for cover at all of the days we've spent 'getting back on track.' Today, Aidan finished writing a biography of Jim Elliot. Arlee is in the early stages of trying out computer-based learning for Language Arts. Adam is thriving and blossoming, a welcome season for our little man.
Overall, these PCs turned MKs seem to be adjusting quite well.
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