As Jay's 6th grade school year wraps up I have to say this has been his best year - EVER and I'm not exaggerating. As his mother it's been my easiest year in raising him. I think there are several reasons and one of them is simple growth and maturity but Jay was also ready for middle school (much as I worried that he wasn't last summer). He was ready for the independence and the sports helped him tremendously this year. He made more friends, got to test his abilities and was exposed to Cross Country and Track, both of which he really liked. Jay's teachers did an excellent job in giving Jay more independence but also knowing when to step in and give him some help. This fall during Jay's IEP conference he was so close to not qualifying for services in 7th grade but as one of his teachers pointed out, Jay is a kid that has worked too hard to have all "props" taken away and I agree. He's worked really hard in school and it continues to be difficult for him and that probably won't change but he's figured out what works for him and what doesn't. Recently he expressed to me that his one goal this year was to take tests on his own (he often takes tests outside the classroom and sometimes has tests read to him) in the classroom which didn't happen this year. Once again the teachers let Jay decide if he wants to take the tests outside the classroom and Jay has learned it's best for him to take tests elsewhere. He's taking responsibility and learning what works best for him. He told me he was disappointed he hadn't achieved his goal. I was quick to ask him how he'd feel if he continued to fail tests. He acknowledged he'd feel bad. Plus for every successful person there is a string of folks behind them that helped that person get to where they are. I like to think of Jay's teachers as a parade of supporters behind him all the way. I recently ran into his 3rd grade teacher and when I told her 6th grade was awesome for Jay, she got tears in her eyes.
Sports has also been really good for Jay. He ran Cross Country in the fall and enjoyed it and will be running again in August. He played basketball during the winter. Basketball has proven to be his all time favorite sport. He loves it! Then this spring he ran track, another sport he really enjoyed. Jay has really made me proud this year. He's grown leaps and bounds in his spiritual life. He's involved in a small group at church and it's been a very positive experience for him to be exposed to kids from the "city" (ha) and kids that go to a different school than he does. This summer he's going on a mission trip with some of them. He's done really well in school. He's kept his grades up and had very few missed assignments. His teachers spoke so highly of him which is music to any mother's ears. While Jay was involved in Cross Country and track he would have meets after school and there were some days he would leave the house at 7:30 in the morning and wouldn't get home until 8:30 at night. Jay is just like his dad........he functions at his best when he's got a full schedule. Some kids get tired and cranky but not Jay. He's truly at his best when his plate is full and I've noticed his relationship with Nick is better when he's in sports. He's continued to make good choices with friends and is a good friend to others. He's still that same outdoor boy (hence the pictures above) and loves nothing more than playing outside, riding his four wheeler, fishing or playing in the mud at froggie island. So even though I poked fun of him in my last blog (I was really just trying to be humorous) I am really proud of him this year. He's been a challenge to raise up until this year and I've even felt my relationship with him change, in a positive way. We laugh more together and he shares things with me that he might not have a year ago. I don't want to give the impression I think it will be smooth sailing with Jay from here on out because I know better than that but when I hit the next bump in the road with Jay I'll pull up this blog and remember with fondness his 6th grade year!
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