Middle's Milestone

My Middle Son finished 8th grade this week.  There was no fanfare for this at school--although for the students a few weeks ago there was an 8th Grade after school Social with dancing in the gym. 

He is growing the most around here physically.  Several months ago in the winter I looked in the kitchen and I Seriously got startled wondering who was that man at our kitchen sink.  For a second I thought we had a stranger in the kitchen or it was some neighbor's contractor that Hubs typically had asked to come to our house to look and and quote on something:

Our Middle son didn't do any sports this past fall, and in the spring he told us he was going to do cross country--which is more like an after school club as they only had a couple of meets.  I think it is a way of course for something extra-curricular in addition to wanting the kids to be interested in cross country the following year in high school fall.

When he told us at dinner that he was going to stay after school two days a week for this and asked for rides home those days Hubs said, "What is her name?"  (heeheehee)  When I would pick him up it did seem as if he was the only boy--there were about 22 girls and 4 boys.

A few weeks ago he told me there would be an end-of-season banquet after school and could I sign up to bring a dish.  I said sure.  That day was hectic as usual and I had to stop work a couple hours early and take Oldest to a doc appt, but first had to drop off the food I made to the middle school, and then go to doc appt and then go back to middle school to get Middle son after his banquet.  All the while I was impatient and grumbling inside about how I needed to have been doing work stuff and why did I have to sign up to make food when I should have just sent him to school with a bag of chips.

When we got to the Middle School, I thought I would go in and Middle would be done, so Oldest stayed in the car.  I went into the cafeteria and saw those 22 girls and 4 boys and a couple of high school volunteers, two middle school teachers, a high school teacher and about 2 or 3 parents.  I saw that the teachers and high schoolers were presenting each student with a paper certificate to each kid and said a blurb about them.  At first I was impatient but then calmed down and was humbled by what was going on in this cafeteria.

What I saw in front of me were really good, kind kids and thoughtful, caring teachers.  Because you know I bitch about teachers and the curriculum a lot. One teacher then began to hand out extra-special gifts (gift cards to restaurants) to some kids who had reached milestones.  She then began to say she had an acknowledgement for someone who was the only 8th grade boy to sign up for cross country (I knew then this was my son), who never complained when she asked him to do something, and helped out with things she wanted him to do with the 6th graders even it was not cool and seemed young for him.  She said he has a quiet demeanor and to not forget that a leader does not have to be someone who draws attention by being loud--that you can be quiet and lead by example.

I texted Hubs to tell him that our son was getting a recognition award.  I was beaming.  And then a male teacher told the students to give a round of applause to their parents, as the students would not be in this room celebrating the end of cross country season if it wasn't for the parents.  He also reminded them to stay involved in these types of extra-curricular activities as their success and path to college is always not about their report card.  I think he gave some good advice.

I was so glad that I made it there, unintended to see the end of his social banquet,--such a good reminder of the students and teachers who stay behind after school for each other, and it made my heart swell that other people think of my son as highly as I do.  Even if he is often under the radar.