Kyla plays softball. One of her teammates had a bit of a breakout season this past fall. The girl’s dad never missed a game…always coaching and encouraging her from the bleachers. One game his daughter put the ball to the fence. Her dad stood up but didn’t speak a word as she rounded the bases. When she hit the home plate her dad shot his wife this “look” and then he smiled. A year ago I would’ve missed that “look”. But now I get it, boy do I get it. I had that look the first time Josh put on his ROTC uniform. I felt it when Kyla read her D.A.R.E. essay in front of the entire school. I had it when Skyler walked on top of the pitcher’s mound and threw his very first pitch.
I got to have it again last night. Last year Skyler struggled with his school work, especially writing and math. He was so far behind that we chose to have him repeat the fourth grade. Last year Skyler’s class was given a multiplication test each week. They were to do 100 multiplication problems (like 9x5 or 3x3) in less than 5 minutes. The students who passed the test got their name on the front of the next week’s homework packet.
Last year Skyler could only complete 10 to 15 of the problems. Each week he would look at the names of all the students who passed the test and then he would write in his name under theirs. I spent the entire summer teaching him his multiplication facts and dealt with all of the whining when he found out he had to write them out again even though it was the weekend. But it worked folks. The class took a multiplication test yesterday and last night Skyler came to me and told me he past his multiplication test! He got them all correct AND he gets to have his name on the homework packet next week. I won’t have the packet until next Monday but when I get it I am framing that puppy!
It’s funny, I thought Jason was the only person I would kiss with my whole heart.
