Sometimes I Just Could BEAT the Kid and Then??

Stockton said he was going to give me the thumbs up so I was ready, so was the school photographer, it was in the school newletter too!

He and Dr. Hadlock

Stockton has a lot of pressure on him being the oldest child in the family. Not only because Brad and I are dumb parents and we don't know what we are doing -(he is the experiment) but he also places pressure on himself (which we often tell him to loosen up). We have a few things that are required and expected at our house...1. Always trying your hardest at EVERY thing you do. 2. You must take some kind of music lesson. With rule #1 comes lots of great things, Stockton excels in school (taking all honors classes), he got his Eagle at an early age, etc.... rule #2 is the difficult thing for him at this point in life! He has taken piano lesson since he was 8, he has gone through 3 teachers - now when I say through - I mean, he doesn't like it and he basically makes their life HELL! But we feel that piano is important (he could have chosen another instrument?), we just keep paying and he REALLY is good, he learns so fast and each teacher says "if he would practice, he could be so good" over and over we have heard this, but he does JUST enough to get by. SO I got this e-mail from the piano teacher, I have already told everyone about it so as embarrassed as I am...I am still posting it!

Hey Kim....

Hope you are feeling better! Stockton, is not doing well with lessons right now. He seemed to be doing ok right before Festival and I'm not sure what is going on but private lessons have taken a dive and Theory class yesterday and also last month have been problems with his behavior. He is a bit disrespectful to me, heckles my comments under his breath, and doesn't want to participate, and clearly doesn't want to be here. That makes the positive and upbeat mood I am trying to set with the rest of the 10 students (including your cute girls...who really are trying to learn difficult. He has not had his class materials at any of his lessons since Festival, and I feel badly taking your money. Talking with him might do some good, but I'm not sure....I just think maybe a break? I don't know?
Let me know what you think ok! I'll do whatever you you want me too! Thanks for all you do!

HOLY CRAP! So can you take him to boarding school for me?

I tell people about the e-mail and they LAUGH because it goes so much against his nature!

And then the same day I get the invitation to the Awards night at the school. Stockton has been on the high honor roll, every term throughout jr. high except 2....and the one was last term, he was on it when we left for Hawaii and when we got home after the term ended 1 grade went down and he missed it by .2! He has been on the citizenship honor roll almost every term too. 8th grade hurt him, he had a horrible science teacher! We went to the awards night and he was not only honored for academics but for athletics also.

So sometimes I feel so proud and other times....I could knock him upside the head?

He also ran track this year at the jr. high for the first time. He had a lot of fun, he did well. He went to district and he fell on the hurdles, so he got last and he did great in the 400 meters! But he went in 2 events and he had a great time.