Report Card

Today is report card day. C got his and it’s just as expected, it’s just as it has been since kindergarten. He got all As and Es and made the principal’s list again. He was also cited for his good citizenship. We are very proud.

Part of his homework tonight is to read a story aloud to an adult, so he read to us during dinner and he did a great job. He can pronounce even the larger words and his elocution is first-rate. C is a good kid, both in school and at home. He follows directions well, too. For instance, I require the kids to change out of their uniforms after school because they’re rough on clothes and I’m not made of money, despite what they think. So tonight he’s hanging out around the house in just his underwear. Well, he took his uniform off at least. But he also has temporary tattoos all over his torso and arms, including a couple on his chest and one that encircles his scrawny little bicep. With his pasty skin, tighty dinosaur briefs and tatts, it was like having an 8-year-old meth addict, or Max Cady, read to us about bugs. It also gave us a brief glimpse into a possible scary future. As parents, our waking hours are full of wondering what our offspring will grow into – doctor, entrepreneur, scholar, athlete? But what if they turn into adult meth heads, wearing that same pair of underpants, who won’t leave home and insist on reading to us aloud about bugs while plotting to steal my VCR?

This won’t happen, of course. C is intelligent and has a good head on his shoulders, and we’ve got that head in a vice at least until he’s 18. But there’s always the what if to think about. What if he takes the wrong path? What if he never moves out? What if we’re actually still using a VCR in 10 years? Scary thoughts…now, back to the bugs.

By the way, JP got his first report card ever today. Perfect attendance!