Awards Time

It's that time of year again.  Awards time.  The time of year when we run back and forth between the boys' school and our work, in hopes of a) securing a good parking spot and b) making it in time to get a good seat.  It's the time of year when we try to act surprised by the awards the boys have been telling us about all year.  But sadly, with all the technology we have now (yes, I realize I sound like my grandmother), it's hard to be surprised by much of it anymore.  

Harper worked very hard to earn his AR medallion for meeting the second grade, 60 point goal.  So, we easily checked his record online to see he had met that goal!  He also worked hard to earn straight A's all year.  And yup, we quickly hopped online to check his grades and saw he met that goal as well!  And sure enough, as we sat through Harper's awards, we watched him proudly wear his new AR medallion around his neck as he walked up to receive his trophy for maintaining straight A's all year.  While we were equally proud of his SMAD, Skip Counting and Attendance Awards....his personal goals were for AR and straight As.  So you can only imagine we celebrated with him!

But nothing could've prepared us for Warren's awards assembly, his last awards program of elementary school.  Like Harper, we checked his AR and were already aware that he would not receive his AR medallion.  We checked his grades and knew he would not receive his trophy for straight A.  As motivation has been a struggle for Warren this year, we were prepared for those things.  And because they were participation awards, we were prepared, but proud to hear his name called for a PE award, as a Hollen Helper and as the only Lincoln representative in All County Orff Choir.  And while we weren't expecting an Attendance Award...or an award for an overall straight A average, we certainly could've hopped online to check those as well.

After all of the participation and "prepared" awards, came the one surprise award we were completely unaware of and totally not expecting.  Warren's name was called, along with only 6-8 other names, as being a "Student Leader".  Consequently, we weren't even "camera ready" since we never expected to hear his name.

Teachers and school staff are in a hard spot with awards, for sure.  Does every kid get an award?  While I don't support that idea, I have seen the repercussions from the other side.  You have hard working parents, who take time off of their jobs to be at their child's awards assembly, only to see him/her not earn one darn thing.  So, while I understand trying to celebrate things with every child, it definitely seems to make those awards "less special."  So, if we were to have picked only one award for Warren to win, it would've been the Student Leader Award, because that speaks to his character...to the kind of young man we are trying to raise and to the kind of person God has called him to be.

I'm pretty sure you are never really ready to send your child to middle school, but this little "boost" reassures us of Philippians 1:6:  "Be confident of this: He who has begun a good work in you, will complete it."  

Be Like Daddy

Like most families, when our boys go to bed, they go to bed early not for themselves....but for us!  We need the time to chill out and relax....or we need that time to work on one of the million projects we find ourselves in....or we need that time to just get the house back in order.  Whatever the reason....we need that time.  That is....until our boys need that time. 

Last night, when I put Harper to bed, he asked (as he does most nights) if I would lay with him.  And, like I do most nights, I replied "I will for just a few minutes."  From there, our conversation went something like this:

Harp:  "You really need to be more like Dad when it comes to this."

Me:  "I do?  Why?  What do you mean?"

Harp:  "Because Daddy usually just lays with me and falls asleep."  

Me (trying not to get angry.....because it's during those "fall asleep times" that I'm working in the house, wondering why he hasn't come out to help):  "Oh, ya, does he?  But why do I need to?"

Harp:  "Because I like you to lay with me."

Me:  "But why?"

Harp:  "Because I just like to be with my family."

And with that, he turned over and snuggled in to me.  Guess where I fell asleep?  

The Dreaded Dress Uniform

At the boys' school, every Monday is designated as a "Dress Uniform" day, where the boys have to wear very thick, navy blue pants and a very thick, oxford shirt.  While I've obviously never worn it, the uniform seems incredibly uncomfortable.  Add to that the Florida heat and it's enough to make even the parents a little craz(ier).  So, when Warren had his last dress uniform day....it was met with both excitement and anger.  Warren was understandably beyond excited; Harper.....not so much, as it was only the last dress uniform day for 5th graders, not Kindergarten through 4th grade.

After the last dress uniform day, Warren was able to donate his dress uniform to the school "repeat" shop in exchange for a NUT (No Uniform Today) pass, which meant he wouldn't have to wear a school uniform at all that following Monday.

Meanwhile, the school hosted a Chick-Fil-A spirit night that Friday.  And on Monday, those students who brought in the receipt from the spirit night were able to get out of the dress uniform and at least wear uniform shorts and a comfortable, dry fit spirit shirt.  However, if you didn't make it to the spirit night, you had to wear your dress uniform.

Because the 5th graders were done with their dress uniforms, there was a bit of confusion among the "first time 5th grade moms" as to what that meant for the rest of the grade levels.  So, I texted one of the teachers, who happens to be a personal friend (and will remain nameless, unless she moves out of teaching Kindergarten, where she was when she taught Harper) and asked her if the other students were supposed to still wear dress uniforms.  She replied "Technically they are, but didn't you go to Chick-Fil-A?😉"  Ahhh, brilliant!

So, I went to Harper, saying "Good news buddy!  Friday night was Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night, so you can wear your shorts and spirit shirt."  He just looked at me with this completely appalled and a bit disappointed face.  Then my 8 year old put me in my place.  He said "But mom, we didn't go to Chick-Fil-A.  And I just don't feel good about doing that."  You can only imagine the thud I heard as my heart hit the floor!

(And I won't go on to tell you that "said Kindergarten teacher" then went on to tell me I should convince Harper that she had an extra receipt he could borrow.....because some might think that's unethical.  I see it as "that's how much these Lincoln teachers love our kids!")

So, here is Warren on his last day in his dress uniform.  And here is my honest little man, one week later....while Warren was in his NUT pass and most other kids were in their comfy spirit shirts and shorts....Harp wore his uniform, one more time!