TANNER IS GROWING UP

Since Tanner is turning 18 and will be graduating high school  in a couple of months I thought I would write down some of his school "happenings"

When he was in the 8th grade he wanted a job, the job he aspired was a sweeper at his middle school. He applied and talked to the head janitor they had no openings but he was told if he would check in every now and then to see if someone had called in that day he may be able to be a substitute sweeper. Oh that poor janitor didn't know what he was in for. Tanner started checking with Les every day after school and he soon found out that checking after school was a little late, if someone had called in it was already filled by the time school ended. So Tanner changed his tactic he would go and talk to Les before school. He soon found out that was to soon,  so next he started checking in during his lunch time. With all his checking in he would get a few fill in jobs and he was one happy boy. Soon he was checking in at every chance he got.  He was becoming a regular fill in and was working often. Les told me one day when I went into the school that I had a very persistent boy, that he had never had a kid try so hard to get a job.  The next year he became a full timer. He has worked there ever since. He even worked during the summer cleaning the school.

During this same school year Tanner fooled the entire staff of teachers and administrators......How a kid that tried so hard to get a job could pull off this next story is totally beyond me!

During Tanner's English class the teacher was having the kids take turn reading out loud from a book they were reading as a class, when it came time for Tanner's turn to read out loud and the first word he was to read was the word "THE" he tried sounding it out by making the "T" sound then adding "HE" after struggling for some time the teacher sent him to the office to have him read to the administration.  Tanner actually had them believing he could not read......I really don't get how they believed him he was doing fine and reading in all his other classes. but for some reason he pulled it off, now mind you he is an excellent reader and I was buying him books often. the school actually put him in a resource class and treated him like he couldn't read, they gave him no homework in that class. had someone sit by him to assist with his assignments.Yet in all his other classes he was getting along just fine on his own.  All this time they had never bothered to call me to inquire or to inform me how "behind" he was.  Some come then end of the years parent teacher conference I went, he was actually doing pretty well in all his classes and then I came to his English teacher we were talking about his progress when she finally came clean with Tanner's charade of not being able to read. I was dumb founded when she informed me that she is a resource teacher she told me the whole story of Tanner having a hard time reading out loud in class, how he had gone to the office and they confirmed it....he couldn't read.  I couldn't help it I started laughing out loud.  Wouldn't you?  here is a kid that could read and well. a kid who loved to read "how to" books. instructional books and I am being told he couldn't read at all. The teacher said wait let me tell you that I finally tested him about a couple of weeks ago without telling him it was a test......She looked at me and said this is one very SMART boy he had us all fooled he not only can read but he reads way above average and should not have been in this class all year but he should have been in a foreign language class. The only thing I could ask her was why didn't you guys think to call me why would you let this go on all year?  I hope you all have learned something from this.  I just looked at Tanner and asked why would you do this?  He just said to me why wouldn't I.  I had the easiest English class ever and I had no home work.....If you ask me I would say I am pretty smart....I got A's all year in English.  What a turd!  The teacher could never explain why they never called me. I hope they have not let this happen again.

He has tried that trick every year since...It has never worked in his favor again.

9th grade went pretty well, but he became a little more obnoxious or should I say class clown, he thinks he always must be the "funny" one.

I got a call one day the principal wanted to meet with me ASAP! oh boy will this ever end?

I get off work and head to the school, I get in there and she informs that he has been kicked out of his ceramics class, when I ask why she hand me his latest project it has ceramic tools embedded in it. The tools are metal and had been fired in the kiln which could have broken the kiln and obviously now they could no longer use these tools as they were now in Tanners pot.  When I asked him why he had done that he makes the excuse he forgot they were in there....I didn't buy it, and neither did they.  He had to pay for the tools $20.00 dollars. and they wouldn't let him have his project.  Sounded reasonable to me.

Can you say Grounded!

There was many times when he would say he has no friends, I am sure he truly felt like it, we all have felt that way from time to time.  He has many friends and good friends too!

When I remember more I will share them!

Tanner is growing up and has a great personality. I will always miss him being little but I am excited to see who he becomes!

IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN ANY MORE

Back in the day when our boys were young we would go out to dinner almost every friday night, it even got to the point were they would give us grief about "having" to go with us.

Now we don't do it every week but Bill and I try to go out once or twice a month. And it usually is just us two that go and the main reason is, is because when we get home from work no one else is around to even ask if they want to go and even if they are home they usually don't want to hang out with us "old folks" on a very valuable friday night.

Yesterday was a Friday and I had taken the day off, about a month or so ago, Bill and I had planned on going out to Wendover to spend the weekend and see a STYX Concert. But as life goes we had some unexpected things come up like a broken dryer, car renewals, a broken windshield all of these things took over our "FUN" money!  but I decided to still take the day off anyway.  Landon doesn't work on Fridays and now Tanner doesn't have school so I thought it would be fun to go out to eat with them, I didn't say anything to them ahead of time so about an hour before I wanted to go I be-bopped into their rooms and said hey how about we all go to lunch, we will go pick up dad and go to Sizzler! to my surprise they both said yes! so they got ready and we headed out to pick up Bill.

It was fun to have their attention face to face to listen to what they like to talk about, their ambitions, dreams. They have some big dreams of getting rich, school, and their thought process of how they are going to obtain these dreams....in our eyes are way out there.....in their minds it makes perfect sense.

Landon wants to open a store that sells DJ systems(items) and clothing, lighting for techno concerts and then one day opening his own club..... that is a big dream!

Tanner wants to get a degree in business and engineering. and open a bike shop and design bikes....another big dream!

It will be fun to watch them to see what they do with their lives, how they get there and what ends up really happening!

I know both of them can do whatever they set their minds to if they have the discipline to follow through and listen to advice from those that can help them.  and if they get in their head that they need to save money and not just spend, spend, spend!

It was a fun couple of hours spent with my family, I hope they realize that as they are trying to grow up we as their parents are growing old and that family is everything! Family really is the only ones that will be there when you fall, family will be there when no one else will be. Family is where it's at.