our first 'bad' day

Maybe I am just in a bad mood - but today was pretty crummy. It started off when I had to spend 3 hours in the phone store. Anyone who has ever experienced this knows what angst and grief this causes. Then include a language barrier and it makes it 10x worse. Patrick said I should have just walked out of the store and waited until he was home (so I could go without the kids) but the semi-English speaking person only works 10:30-4:30 and Patrick is in work then. So I had to take them with me. For 3 HOURS!!! Thank goodness there was a Starbucks next door so I could get them some food (at the 2 hour mark). You know it is frustrating when the Japanese cell phone worker at the base is SCREAMING into the phone. Japanese people do not raise their voice, let alone scream. Every time we got close to a solution, something would happen to deter us from our goal. We got so close one time - and then they started getting a fax which cut off our phone line (after waiting an hour to speak to someone who could help us). Grrrrrr. I literally cried. Twice. The kids did ok - but not great (like the perfect angels I expected them to be). So that was frustrating as well.

After that was resolved (sort of) I took Gavin to his Japanese lessons. He was excited to go so I dropped him off for the hour and ran errands with Evie. The hour flew by so I went back to pick him up. The kids in the class were running around like crazy (like they do at the end of class) but the teacher had to pull me aside and tell me that Gavin was really bad in class. Really bad. She said he was acting crazy and running around when he was told to stop, interrupting her, and also making fun of a new littler boy in class who was scared and crying.

In all of Gavin's years in preschool and other organized activities - he has never once even gotten a complaint from the teacher. As a matter of fact, they praised him for being such a good example. He has always strived to be good in school and not get in trouble. So this worries me a little. OK - a lot. I hope this transition has not turned his attitude about school. So, this made me cry again. I tried to talk to him about it - and he didn't even seem to care that I knew he had gotten in trouble.

After that, we needed to go to the grocery store (the commisary) to get food for dinner. While we were there, we saw his teacher. I told him he needed to go apologize to his teacher and tell her he would not do it again. But her refused. So I told him he had a choice....apologize or go directly to bed for the rest of the night. He chose bed. Again, very unlike him.

Now I know we had a rough day - but this behavior is very sad for me to see come from him. He also got in trouble in the grocery store for touching some meat packages (I didn't see him do it) but I saw a Japanese guy working there come up to him, with his arms in an "X" position - which is their way of saying "NO!". He was shooing Gavin away and Gavin ran behind me with his head down - like he knew he did something wrong.

I hope this day was just a fluke...but please keep Gavin is your thoughts and prayers. I hope he is adjusting ok - and if not - please keep me in your prayers that I can help him.