"OH...It's ON Now!"

Granted Zach hasn't been a model student...but the faculty never met that nerdy little three year old wearing Barney sneakers riding a Bat Man bike while wearing a fanny pack as he held the real (to him) Barney tight against his tiny chest.

Move forward to the goofy years. You know... take a bath twice a week and always have the same fake grimace/smile in every photo as if your big brother was fixing to smack you(again.)

Oh... then there are those three horrible years called "Middle School ." You think you look cool but totally look like an idiot and your posture resembles someone that will be on a walker before they get a learner's permit.

Move on to the "Now I AM cool stage." Still clueless but think they have surpassed you in knowledge, coolness and obviously intelligence.








Then the hammer drops. It's senior year...three days to go. He has

procrastinated for three years but thought time moved a lot slower.

Oh..he's in the REAL world now. He has butted heads with and challenged every authority figure he could. He has pointed out the weaknesses of our failing education system and damned the people who won't give teacher's the money they so rightly deserve. He has written eloquent speeches about the environment, wowed me several times with other papers he has written and not often enough made me really proud. He has also made a few bad decisions and in doing so raised the red flag . They are watching him like a hawk now. They are scrutinizing every move he makes and taking their final shots at breaking him.

I've talked to his teachers, Tim's talked to his teachers...a LOT.

We're BFF's now.

I truly think his teacher's know what a smart guy he is and just shake their heads in regret as Zach continually refuses to use his gift to his advantage.

My boy.

That's all that matters. He is my blood. He came out of my body and is the product of me meeting and marrying Tim. He is the end result of a miracle that never ceases to amaze me...the creation of human life. God gave me Zach for a reason...sometimes I think it was so he could chuckle a little.

God gave me this gift of life and I will do my best to make him a person to be proud of and am proud that I was the person lucky enough to be able call him my son.

Let's move on to TODAY! Massey sent me a text picture at work. Zach made the year book!!!!!!!!!!!

He looks really happy(not)... but I AM!!
I think he looks really handsome and have looked at this photo at least thirty times today.

I just wish the school systems would focus on the important and administration could forget about feeling power over a bunch of teens and getting all giddy about mentally punching them when they are down or targeting them when at LEAST they are still attending school and trying to finish.

HEY! I know my kid's no angel..."Try living with him!"

But at least he has hung in there. He wants to finish school.

Of course he wants to make it as miserable as he can for everybody, but as teachers and admin's you should expect that from some of the teens in the year 2011. That's sad to say...but it's "Just the facts Ma'am!" (Joe Friday on Dragnet)

I'm using Honey this weekend...Tim's on Vinegar patrol. I will get Zach out of this school and after a nice par-tay...will kick him out into the world.

Fly away litttle bird. Flap your wings..."Watch out for the down draft!"

Til next time...still crossing fingers and toes, COTTON