3 years ago...

I legally became a parent...not a mother, but a parent. I was awarded full legal custody of my brother, Avery, after a long drawn out court battle in which my mother was proven "unsuitable". Avery had lived with me for almost a year by then, so really its been almost 4 years that he's lived with me permanently. Four years has flown by and its amazing to think about how much he has grown and achieved since then. As I sat at the kitchen table helping him with his Pre-algebra homework, I remembered the kid that used to hide in the closet if you mentioned reading a book. That same kid reads for his own pleasure now and (usually) doesnt even need to be asked to do his reading. The kid that didnt know how to tie his shoes in the 3rd grade is now cooking dinner once a week. The kid that used to be jacked up on ADHD meds like a zombie, but still couldnt sit still because he was so nervous is now a responsible drug free Junior High Schooler who enjoys school, has all A's and B's, is a first place wrestler, and plays sax in the band. The kid that used to miss almost a day of school each week had perfect attendance for the entire school year last year. We certainly arent the perfect family, but I think we've done some pretty good things! I'm proud of how far he's (we've) come!