Building Character One Experience at a Time

Today was the third quarter's academic honors assembly at the elementary school. Of all of the days/week/times, I am so glad that I was able to attend this one. Keagan was awarded honor roll and the coveted Haller's Heroes for citizenship and showing good character. This makes three years in a row.

For the past two weeks I was worried to death that his teacher was holding a grudge against him after he told her the correct way to pronounce Versailles and fascism, in front of the entire class. I guess she forgave him, though, because she was thrilled that I was there to see him win the prize.

Just as I was forming the words to chew him out and debating the consequences for not meeting his quarterly reading goal, his name was announced for the citizenship award. I quickly forgot the reading award and made a mental note that good character means so much more than reading points. I decided to forgive him.

"Knowledge will give you power but character respect." - B. Lee

Number Four

Championship number four of the season is in the books. Evan had a great championship game with ten points and lots of rebounds. And to think we're just getting started with the season!

Tell It Like it Is

Keagan played in another basketball tournament this weekend. Bless his heart! There's just no way around it; his team is just horrible.

They lost game one by almost fifty points. There was a lot of frustration on Keagan's part and a lot of this:

Even after losing by twenty and thirty points, he remained positive and encouraging. I was so proud of him for this. He has mastered losing gracefully, almost anyway. 

In the first game, he blocked a shot and the ref called a foul on him. Keagan questioned the call and told him it was all ball. At half time, the ref took him to the side for a "talk."

Keagan has become much more bold in the last six months. He tells it like it is and doesn't mince words. He told a friend last week that he "smelled like cat pee." He told our foster kid, "Boy, you are lying. You are going to hell for that." Another friend asked him to spend the night, and Keagan said, "No, no that's not going to happen. I've reached my limits with a twelve hour play date." On Friday, I had to tell him that you can be honest and truthful without being hurtful. He told me, "I don't want to hurt anyone; I just want people to know where I stand."

I wonder where he gets that from.

Spring Break

The boys are ending their spring break today. According to them, it was the best week ever. The boys were content sleeping until 9:00, playing endless pick up games in the driveway, and having Nerf Wars in the house, something I never allow if I'm at home because, well, it's loud, really loud. So the boys were happy with going no where as long as I brought home a treat every day after work. I saved thousands of dollarsthis stay-cation buying only a couple of Frostys, blizzards, pizzas, and burgers.

Friday Keagan went with a friend to see The Bodies exhibit at a local museum. He wasn't thrilled with giving up sleep and basketball for an educational trip, but I thought for sure he and his brother would have had enough of each other by Friday, so I made him go (and I gave him $10 for the gift shop). I'm glad I did, too, because this kid hasn't stopped talking about kidney stones, grizzly bears, and arrowheads since he got back. 

He can also articulate how the Tennessee terrain changed as a result of two earthquakes.

I almost said "I told you so." 

Of course, he loved exploring the creek, too, and he tried to explain how the trees along the creek proved the earthquake was quite damaging, but I was busy taking those pizzas out of the box and only heard pieces of that part of the trip. 

And he got to sleep some after all. 

He bought arrowheads at the gift shop and was so excited to show them to me. I asked where they were found (assuming locally since he had seen thousands on display), and he said, "I don't know..maybe around?...and stuff." I suggested he read the information on the box, and he suddenly exclaimed, "Mexico!!! I got ripped off! Mexicans didn't use arrowheads; they used machetes!"

My spring break starts NOW!

Livin' the Dream

Ever since the boys were about five and seven, they have had a system for playing backyard football. They pick a team (using helmets), pick players (using trading cards), and keep score using a timer/scoreboard combo that was given as a Christmas gift several years ago. I don't understand all of the nuances of their system, but I do know that helmets, trading cards, and brackets all serve important roles. They can spend hours completing a season, and they develop new seasons only if they know they have blocks of time to complete it. So I'm certain when they learned they had an entire week of spring break at home with no interruption, they began planning their next season.

I came home from work all of this week to find football helmets neatly lined up in the living room,

outlines of brackets and seasons stuffed in various corners of the lawn furniture,

and the floors of the bedrooms serving as displays for basketball cards. You better not mix them up or step on them until the season is over. Don't even think about trying to vacuum. 

No doubt! They are livin' the dream this spring break playing football in the backyard and basketball in the front. I am blessed that they have common interests and can entertain themselves all week with something besides video games. 

He is Risen...He is Risen Indeed

He is risen; He is risen indeed. Happy Easter!

My Easter was almost ruined when both of my boys got dressed for church and wore dress shoes with athletic socks. I was so embarrassed. Evan tried to convince me that it was okay. He was certain someone would show up to church on Easter Sunday in camo. And he was right. But that didn't make the sock mishap any less painful for me to have to look at for the entire church service.

The Easter bunny made a stop at our house last night, and this year, he was left unscathed by Maybelle. He left athletic clothes and chocolate - the same things that have been in Easter baskets since the boys said good-bye to Thomas the Train and Super Heroes.



























I also made a basket for the 13 year old foster that is currently living with us. Evan told me that he knows my destiny is heaven because only angels would stuff a basket full of goodies for a child that has lied, stolen, and peed all over our furniture. An angel I am not; but we have all learned some very valuable lessons about love and acceptance.

He is risen; He is risen indeed.

Defining Hard Worker

It's spring break for the boys and every where you look it actually looks like spring. We have the weekend off from sports, and Evan was up real early on his one day off to work. 

He made it successfully through three games before he encountered any hostility. During game four, the coach of the losing team called him names and used foul language over and over again. Evan was appalled that the coach was speaking this way in front of nine year old girls. It became so bad that the director of referees had to observe the last half of the game. Evan came home with a nice paycheck and decided he would do it again - bad names and all. 

 

 

He takes advanced classes, maintains straight As, plays for two travel teams, and now has a part-time job, all at the age of 13. I'm so proud of this guy!