Gems From Jack

It has been so long since I posted.  I had computer problems, internet line problems, and then when all that got fixed I had so many posts to do that I was intimidated by the sheer number of hours I needed to sit at the computer typing.  SO, I've remedied this problem by just picking up NOW and not worrying about the dozens of posts I missed.  I will do some back-posts, but for now I'm just going to keep moving forward or I fear I won't ever start writing again.  

I want to talk about Jack.  Jack is a reader, folks.  Not just a little picture book here and there reader, but a full-blown he can read ANYTHING reader.  And he loves to read.  He is allowed to check out 5th grade books at school, so he's not limited to anything.  He received a box set of The Boxcar Children books for Christmas and read the whole first five books and is working on book seven right now.  The best part of it is that he snuggles up to me every night and reads me a chapter or three.  He is excited, he can't wait for story time, and he gets right into the story.  He is animated in a way I've never seen him before.  It makes my heart sing.  

I never thought that would happen with Jack.  Ever.  

Now let's go back to when Jack was doing pre-school, and when I thought he was truly going to have a learning disability.  I can't even tell you how relieved I am.  While I'd like to say Jack has had a change of heart about school, he hasn't completely.  He does not LOVE school.  But he doesn't HATE it anymore either.  The only way we got to this point is to have several discussions on gratitude and what truly "having a bad day" means.  He's a pretty blessed kid with a blessed family and blessed home life, he has no reason to be upset.  He changed his way of thinking a little when an older man from our church passed away suddenly.  He was crying about school and the same old garbage he pulls every morning and I snapped.  I said to him...

"YOU ARE NOT HAVING A BAD DAY!  DO YOU KNOW WHO IS HAVING A BAD DAY?  SISTER XXXXX.  BROTHER XXXXX PASSED AWAY LAST NIGHT."

Man if you could have seen the look on Jack's face.  He truly looked shocked and like I kicked him in the gut.  

And you know what?  As crappy as it might have been for me to do that to him, it worked.  He hasn't cried in the morning before school since then.  He even says 

"Today is going to be a good day."

And he has good days now.  Don't get it twisted around though, he doesn't love school.  However, he is tolerating it and that's all I can ask for.  He needed a new perspective on life, and I was happy to give it to him.  

OK, so back to Jack being a reader.  

Check out his STAR reading scores.  Jack has maxed out the reading chart.  Jack is in the first grade, and they use this chart through third grade.  He has the BEST teacher ever.  She is challenging him daily, and he is responding so well.  I am so proud of Jack guys.

Jack also has some kind of imagination.  His writing stories started out innocent and cute.

Aw, hey look at that.  My Mom is fun!  HA!  

Which one is me, and which one is Jack?  Well, I hope you can guess Jack by his hair, but in case you can't, I'm the one with the boobs.  LOLOLOL.  Oh Jack.

But somewhere along the way, Jack started getting a little bolder.  

I can't even stop laughing to write this.  

"sh*t".

The sun is an asterisk, because you know... that's what us grown ups do to replace a letter in a curse word.

His teacher about laughed herself to death over this one.  And even funnier, Jack was obviously worried when his brother said sh*t because he must have been the one that said it first.  Go figure.  

And THEN.  

The writing assignment was to draw and write what would happen if he was caught coloring on the walls of his house like the boy in the story he is reading at school.

Please take special note of the heart.  I apparently killed him with my sword and ripped his heart out before I ate him.

This clearly explains why he doesn't write on the walls at home.   

And the latest gem that came in the folder last night.

Here we go with the asterisk again.

I think it's comical the teacher didn't even think to mention it to me.  You know, like it's totally normal that Jack writes curse words and asterisks in his homework.

I don't even want to address the fact that Bo has Sailor Mouth already at the tender age of two.  But I swear I didn't teach him.  No need for me to teach him when he can learn from Jack.

And last but not least, here is a copy of Jack's latest report card.  Jack is a stud.  I'm so proud of him.  I know it's just first grade, but all of his standardized test scores are pointing in the right direction.  He's off the charts in all of his subjects, and I AM SO RELIEVED.

GO JACK, GO.  

A Honor Roll and the Math Award on Awards Day.  Keep it up big guy.  You have no idea how happy I am for you.