Today's School Project "James Christmas List"

Today James brought home his school project. It was his Christmas list made from cut out magazine pictures. He came bouncing in my room with said project in hand ready to tell me all about it. I asked him what was on his Christmas list. He pointed out his name first, "J A M E S". "That's me, James." Then we began to review his photos. So you want a Buzz Light Year. Yep he did. He also wants a lap top and a new car - a mustang. There were other predictable things on his list like a guitar and drums. He has visions of becoming a rock star and we regularly hear him playing, dancing, singing and drumming in his room. He also wanted a pizza, and a hamburger. Both also quite predictable. He loves food. He hates to go shopping unless he is going with his Mom to "buy food". He loves the "popcorn chicken" at Walmart and we can hardly get out of there without at least an emotional appeal for some to take home. All of those things did not surprise me. Two items did surprise me. One was a picture of a dog. James has this kind of love hate relationship with dogs. He thinks they are so fascinating but he is scared of them. That was an interesting addition to a predictable list. But what most surprised me was a picture of a girl. I asked what that was. He said "a girl". My response was, "James you want a girl for Christmas?" To this he confidently replied, "Yep a girl." Times are changing for my 14 year old freshman. His teachers have recently reported that when he helps in the school store he is known to ask the girls "call me". Life is never boring with James. He has already added a new flair to Christmas for us.

Hundred Dollar Bill

One school morning James was dressed and ready for school. I was shooing him out to the front porch before the bus arrived when he peaked his head out of the hall and say, "Dad, money." I answered, James come out here right now the bus is coming and I don't have money. There was a long silent pause and then he bolted down the hall just in time to meet the bus pulling up. I eventually made my way back to my bedroom and noticed that my wallet was open and some of the things inside were scattered beside it on the dresser. I began to put things back together when I decided to look in the back fold to make sure my secret hundred dollar bill was still there. It was gone. My concern was that I might have bought the most expensive can of Sprite out of the high school pop machine. Now I hate to sound cheap but that is a lot of money. I jumped in the car and went to find James. I found James in his classroom busy about his work. I asked if he had taken my money. He nodded yes and patted his pants pocket. I asked him to show me the money. Sure enough he pulled out my hundred dollar bill. He was not so happy when I tried took the bill from him and tried to explain that it as a lot of money. I said, James this is a hundred dollar bill. He looked up at me with a puzzled look and saind "rehundred?"I said yes, one hundred and I can't leave it with you. Don't worry, after taking the money back he had a great week with ice cream money coming much more often than most most weeks.

Waterboy

After a long silence I have decided to return to my blog about James. This school year James started at Hillcrest High School as perhaps the most excited freshman student I have ever been around. Throughout the summer he woke up everyday asking if today was the day that he would go to High School. The school year finally began and James was a very happy boy. He is full of hopes and dreams. He wants to drive, go to college, get a job and get married. I pretty much have decided not to discourage his dreaming. Who knows what is ahead. One of his dreams as he entered high school was to be on the football team like his brother Robert. With great confidence he boasted all summer that he would be on the football team. It seemed like this might be one of the first dreams to not be fulfilled. And then one day when I dropped him off at school his teacher asked to talk to me outside of the class. That is always a kind of mixed emotion moment when a teacher needs to talk to you. The teacher's question was "do you think James would want to be a waterboy for the football team?" He would get a football jersey to wear and would in fact be down on the field to help. I told her that he would love it. And he has loved his new role. He has often insisted that he be introduced as James the waterboy. Some of the football players tutor in his class during the week. They are all so kind to him. And so James continues to dream. And we are glad to be along for the ride and rejoice with him each step of the way.