Nice to know that I have been missed a little! In fact, my silence here has just been a coincidence of factors: as buddy said, I have a big translation project on at the moment (deadline approaching too fast!), have just come back from three weeks in Morocco where J spent time with his dad and family and I got to work (lucky me) and then I had decided to step back a little from the board. One of the reasons for the latter being that in my particular case I think focusing on the little details all the time isn't particularly helpful - kind of need to step back and see the bigger take, if that makes sense.
J had a good time in Morocco with the family, where he is clearly loved by them all despite the hyperactivity and challenges. He has a strong bond with his dad and that is here to stay, I think. In just two weeks he is already communicating in basic Arabic and I do hope he will speak it fluently, as it is so much part of his identity and his link to his Moroccan family. My ex-husband's new wife is expecting their first child in May and it was a chance for J to understand and deal with that in some measure, I think.
As for me, I am still winning some, losing some of my battles with my own patience and ability to be present with what is happening rather than taking refuge behind what I want to be happening... which with is a hyperactive child is often not what IS happening, of course! I found that two weeks "off" actually made me less patient, not more, as if I had really got out of practice with the hyperactivity and how to work around it... Patience comes over time, something that's learnt, practised. Other than that, apart from the usual infuriating and difficult moments, J is the usual sweet as sugar, funny and delightful little boy. Who also seems to have become more aggressive in his gestures since being with all the family kids in Morocco... School starts again tomorrow - that won't go down well here at all so I have been urging him to realise it's inappropriate/not acceptable...
And I realised... that I could very easily see myself living in Marrakech again!