Jack is on the Honor Roll!

I am so happy for Jack!!!  

Remember the kid that was NOT ready to go to Kindergarden so I had to keep him home an extra year?  Remember the kid that REFUSED to learn his alphabet until the morning we were driving to the big Kindergarden screening test?  

Drum roll please…….

Jack made the straight "A" Honor Roll!!!!!  

But here's the thing.  Jack absolutely HATES school.  It breaks my heart.  He cries every single morning when I drop him off, and he complains mightily all the way to school.  He says 

"I HATE SCHOOL MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WHOLE WORLD!"

And it really makes me sad.  He hated school when I taught him too, but I just thought it was me, because I am not a great teacher.  The only reason he is doing well is because he is competitive.  Gee, I wonder where he got that trait from?  The Coach, of course.  Jack sees school as a competition, so he works at it even though he hates it.  He is very conscientious.  He does all of his homework without being asked, he remembers every last detail of assignments, and he cares about his grades.  Because he wants to "win school".  I'm not sure that's a healthy attitude, but it beats the alternative…  Hating school and not doing the work.  

The school hosts an "Awards Program" each semester and hands out awards to the kids.  I promise you  that at the very last awards program when Justice was in this school The Coach and I joked around about it being our last one.  I never expected Jack would be up there on that stage.  Turns out Jack is a heck of a lot smarter than he lets on. 

See Jack's face.  He looks miserable.  Not much different look than he always has though.  He's pretty much always looking miserable.

The teacher said "no talking!" to the children as they came up on the stage.  They all talked, except Jack.  As a matter of fact, Jack started scooting over away from the group as they were all talking and he clearly was obeying the orders of the teacher.

Definitely not happy to be there.  

Now would be a good time to talk about Jack's hair.  I know there are folks out there that want us to cut it because we get asked all the time when we are going to cut it.  We aren't going to cut it.  It fits his personality.  It's a red curly mess, and if he wants to grow it to his knees we are going to let him.  It's his hair, he can do with it what he pleases.  I would have been miserable if my Mom told me what to do with my hair when I was a kid.  My Mom was a very controlling woman, but she couldn't have ever cared less what I did with my hair.  It was blonde a lot and she didn't care whether it was an inch long or down to my knees.  I feel the same way about all my boys hair.  Justice prefers short military style cuts, and Jack does not.  So what?  

Be you, Jack.  Be you.  

See that kid with the fake beard?  Yeah.  I don't really know what to say about that, LOL.  But in case you hadn't noticed, I wanted to point it out.  Be you, bearded kid, be you. 

I'm not going to lie, I was PROUD of Jack.  I don't use that word ever, but I was proud of Jack.  

And see this lady here?  That's Miss Cindy.  I love Miss Cindy to pieces.  She is the greatest teacher ever.  She knew Jack was really struggling when he came into Kindergarden, and she wanted him in her class anyway.  She loves him, and he loves her.   And at the last round of parent teacher conferences, we both got a good laugh at how smart Jack turned out to be when we both expected him to need Special Education.  His test scores are off the charts high, and he is already reading at the second grade level.  

Thank you Miss Cindy for loving my boy, in spite of the lack of interest he clearly wears plastered all over his face everyday.  Thank you for wiping his tears every single morning when I drop him off.  Thank you for taking care of him in spite of his not so charming personality.  I know for a fact that he wouldn't be on that stage if it weren't for your awesome ability to work with his quirks, encouraging him to be the best he can be.

Congratulations Jack, we are so PROUD OF YOU!