one finished...

Two to go!

Our boy has completed third grade.  He got a very good report card this last quarter.  He also got the above special certificate with the principal's real signature.  He read me and then later, Gary, the entire certificate, word for word.  He was pretty proud of himself.

Then Shawn and I went over his report card in detail and reviewed a couple places where he could improve next year.  We talked about how it's good to look at each subject as well other areas (how to be a self-directed learner, a community contributor, a complex thinker, an effective communicator, etc.) and how they progressed over each quarter.  "You want to see an improvement," I explained to him. 

Then we looked at his yearbook and he pointed out every single person he knew to me, including staff and faculty in his 700 student school.  I realized then, he knows a lot of people.  This is his world.

A few days ago I met his teacher next year so I pointed her photo out to him in the yearbook.  Later that night he said, "I'm gonna have a good year in fourth grade.  My teacher looks really nice and sweet.  She is kinda young.  I like that."      

Before bedtime I put two bandaids on cuts he his arms.  I was tired, by then, but I purposefully did it tenderly and patiently anyway.  He was so appreciative.  "Mom you always take good care of us," he said.  A few minutes later he said to me, very sincerely and rather seriously, "You know Mom, I've been thinking.  This summer I am going to work on being respectful.  I am going to be the most respectful boy I can be.  I'm just gonna do it, be a totally respectful boy to my family."

I thought to myself, wow.  He has completed third grade.  Time to celebrate him.  Because sometimes we fail to see the growth of our children when we are with them day in and day out.  But it is happening.  On so many levels.