Little Man’s Integrity Award!

Okay, peeps.

I send up prayers, and God answers.

Not often with the kind of directness I’d like ;) but this go-‘round it was almost an immediate ask-and-you-shall-receive situation. Wild.

Basically, we’re still in the weeds most days with bickering and behavioral situations needing correction within our household. Not surprising, given the busyness of our lives and the ages of our kiddos.

Also not surprising: Chicklet and Little Man are most often the ones at odds. My twins/not twins. 

Anywho.

Since my beloved, bold, determined, smart son does not easily cower, he’s the one I was discussing with the hubby just last week.

I told the hubby I’d been praying for just one outside source to give me some sort of assurance; some confirmation of the kindness I know my boy exudes all the time (but just hasn’t felt so evident in our household, lately), and…lo and behold, that prayer was answered almost instantaneously.

Little Man just started a new wave of the after-school soccer program he loves so much, and his new instructor singled him out to receive an Integrity Award!

When I picked up my (very sweaty) boy, he was BEAMING. And the instructor shared that he identified Little Man for the award, due to his character, his support of his teammates, his listening skills and his general positive behavior.

I mean…man, if that isn’t everything a parent wants to hear, I don’t know what is!



Little Man was soooo happy to share the news with his siblings and Daddy, and I made sure to give him the praise he definitely deserved.

And then…because sometimes these things just happen in tandem: Little Man came home from school the very next day with a Growth Award he received from the Principal.

These awards are given to students at the school who showcase extraordinary growth on one of the benchmark tests that are given school-wide (and state and nation-wide) three times throughout the year to all students so the teachers can track growth and development.

There are two scores involved in this test:

The percentile each child falls within, on a nation-wide standard, based on their scores.

The percentile of growth each child has shown, also on a nationwide standard, based on their scores.

And here’s where Little Man’s scoring is just bananas.

Prior to this round of testing, he was already scoring in the 98th percentile for reading. 98th dang percentile! But despite scoring so dang high on that round of testing, he exhibited freaking exponential growth—yet again!—that put him within the 94th percentile for growth. It’s kind of insane.

Usually, when a student is already scoring that high, there’s little room for growth (it’s not like a teacher can instruct beyond that grade level curriculum) but not this dude, apparently. He’s just powering onward and upward, and I’m so stinking proud of his studiousness and that his mind is being challenged.



As a parent, it’s soooo hard to see the forest through the trees most days. We see the worst of our kiddos’ behavior (because they know we love them, no matter what), and it can be so hard to wonder if you’re doing anything right.

A little assurance like this, that your kiddo is thriving, or being a kind human being outside of your presence can be the major boost that powers you through another long, arduous parenting stretch.

I’ve learned to take these wins and CELEBRATE them, since they might be few and far between. So here’s to a bit of parental pride and joy in my growing babies.

Happy Saturday, peeps!

Over and out.