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Asha is doing great! When she first came she was very shy and barely talked to anyone, but now she feels at home! She still doesn't like meeting strangers, but she has a great community- she's completely comfortable around my friend Colin and his nephew, who visited this summer, and is starting to meet other kids in the neighborhood. She is now best friends with Simon, who has officially adopted her as his human of choice and sealed the decision by sleeping on her bed instead of mine. She wasn't sure what to think of Obsidian at first (once she started talking she told me that she had been bitten by a dog before) but now she is used to him and will even play with him. When she came, I took her to a psychiatrist to see if she needed any counseling because of her history of abuse, but so far she is fine. I've also been tutoring her in my spare time to get her ready for school, and this September she'll be entering fifth grade. She's still a little clingy because I'm one of the few people here she knows, but the lab where I work is not far from the school so I'll be able to visit her during lunch break and things. She said she wants to come camping with me next summer, and she's already "practicing" by climbing the tree in my backyard. She also likes to go exploring everywhere, which can get interesting--she loves to crawl and climb, and she's a lot smaller than most nine-year-olds so she fits into some scarily tight places! She has a sunny personality and is always full of life; I think she's starting to uncover her adventurous streak as well! Thank you for bringing Asha into my life. :)