School finished the third week of June. We now have a 3rd grader! Rita finished her second grade year with a pretty good report card. Most of her academic marks have moved from below basic to basic or proficient. By April, Rita had finished her 1st grade math workbook and the teacher started testing her at the 2nd grade level. Most weeks she was earning 70-80% on those tests. The teacher has given us the 2nd grade math workbook to go through this summer so she can continue to practice at a higher level.

We have also asked her reading teacher to spend some time with her this summer. Starting in a week, Rita will go to her house 2x per week for reading, reading comprehension and writing lessons. We have been supplementing her lessons with a reading list and she's reading at the 1st-2nd grade level. We are very happy with her progress this year.

The areas where she needs the biggest improvement is in self control and playing socially with her classmates. She gets very competitive and will act out if she doesn't get her way. She also likes to boss little kids around. We've seen it ourselves and we are trying to bring attention to it and teach her the right way to deal with things. It's harder to deal with it when it happens at school. The details from the teachers are sketchy, and at times it seems like she is being provoked but whenever it happens, it ends in a tantrum and sometimes she yells and/or kicks the other kids. The teachers usually sends her to the office to "cool off".

Now that school is over we are enjoying the summer weather. Rita goes to summer camps at the Y during the day. She's taking swimming, surfing, soccer, softball and gymnastics this summer. We have been having "girls day" or "girls night" and going to SeaWorld. I love that Rita loves SeaWorld so much. I remember going there will my family and loving it. Instead of a doctor, Rita now wants to swim with the dolphins when she grows up. (Just like me!)

Another fun summer thing are our evening walks with Thani. We have been going out for a family walk and visiting neighbors most nights.