I've found the girl I'm going to marry!

Jackson is doing well in his 4th grade year at The Cumberland School.  I especially enjoy the time in the car with him when I pick him up from school each day and we drive home.  Recently, Jackson got into an altercation with a classmate on the playground.  I was surprised to find out it was with one of his best friends in class, Jahven.  When I asked him what happened he said that Jahven kept getting in his face and telling everyone on the playground that he liked Sekai, a young girl in his class.  Of course, Jackson was embarrassed and after asking him several times to stop saying that he finally had enough and pushed him to the ground which effectively ended the teasing and landed him in the principal's office (sigh).  I asked Jackson if he actually liked Sekai and he said, "I don't like her.  Well, I kind of like her."

Fast forward to a few weeks later.  As Jackson and I are driving home from school, he tells me that Mrs. Noggle has changed their seats around and he is sitting next to Sekai now in class.  He says she is always nice to him and she says the same about Jackson.  In fact, she told Jackson that he is the only boy in class who's nice to her.  After telling me this he exclaims from the backseat, "Mom, I think I've found the girl I'm going to marry!" Surprised by this I ask him what it is about Sekai that makes him think he's going to marry her? He says, "Well, she's nice to me and I'm nice to her and we just get along so I'm going to marry her one day when I'm older."  Then he proceeds to rationalize that if things don't work out with Sekai then he'll see if Alanna (another nice girl in his class) is still available and he'll ask her to marry him.........he hasn't quite put the whole concept of marriage together, but he's off to a good start. ha!

Sekai's mom said she came home talking about what a "gentleman" Jackson is towards her and how nice he is.  A lot of days Chris and I wonder if we're doing anything right with raising our boy.  Then there are the moments like this where we think there are some seeds being planted and cultivated in his heart.  We pray that this continues for him as he grows up.

As we always tell him, we love him, we care about him, and we are committed to him......no matter what!!!!!!

Mercy

Jackson came home from school today and was on "oh no".  This is the worst offense at school for behavior.  Next step would be being sent to the principal's office.  I asked him why he was on "oh no" and he said he was showing kids a magazine that he took to school (Oriental Trading-ha!) because he was so excited about the ducks in the magazine and he couldn't sit still in his chair.  He got out of his seat after multiple requests to stay in his seat.  So he knows the drill.  Usually an "oh no" means no screen time, going straight to bed, etc.  Jackson goes, "I know I don't get any screen time or dinner tonight and I have to go straight to bed, but could you just have that word with me?" I wasn't sure what he was talking about so I asked him if he could describe the word he couldn't think of.  He said, "You remember that time the police man pulled you over and didn't give you a ticket? That's the word."  BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I have told Jackson that we need to show MERCY to each other some times because God was merciful to us in not giving us what we ultimately deserve which is separation from Him.  Because of Christ's death on the cross we have been shown grace and mercy by God.  I used the story of my ticket to demonstrate that the police man showed me mercy that day even though I deserved a ticket for speeding.  I asked Jackson if the word he was thinking of was "mercy".  He enthusiastically said, "Yes ma'am! That's the word!"  Yes, Jackson I will show you mercy.  You can eat dinner tonight.........before you go straight to bed. Oh how I love this kid!

I'm sorry for making your job harder

Jackson had a hard time sitting still and continuously was out of his seat in class today.  His note said there were "multiple requests" by his teacher for him to stay in his seat.  I explained to Jackson that his teacher, Ms. Newman, has a really tough job as a teacher.  When he doesn't listen and respect what she is doing then it makes her job that much harder.  I asked him if he was trying to make Ms. Newman's job that much harder to which he replied, "No, ma'am."  Later in the evening I suggested that he write her an apology note.  He said he didn't know what to write.  I asked him to think about it and tell me what he thought would be a good thing to write and he said, "I'm sorry for making your job harder?" Yes, Jackson, those are perfect words to write to Ms. Newman.  And apparently, that letter made her day when he took it to school! We love you, we care about you and we are committed to you, buddy!