i'm back!
it has been a while and this really isn't much of a post... it was actually homework. not for me, for dakota. he came home the other day and and gave me a sheet of paper that said "PARENT HOMEWORK" at the top. can you believe that? homework for parents!!! anyway, i had to write a little diddy about "who is your kid". so here is what i wrote:"On the outside, Dakota may look like your average twelve year old kid. He loves to hang out with friends and is always looking for ways for them to spend the night. He can often be found playing sports of some sort. His favorite sports would easily be football and skim boarding. (This summer he took 2nd place in the Chapter 11 Skim Competition) He is always asking his mother and me to turn up the radio so he can hear his favorite songs. (Unfortunately he is a big Mariah Carey fan so we are often tortured by her songs.) His love for music has gotten him to pick up the bass guitar this summer and he seems to be taking to it rather quickly. He’s a great big brother to his 8 year old sister, Sydney and his 6 year old brother, Ryder. They both look up to him and are his biggest fans. Dakota reciprocates their adoration and encouragement. He is always cheering on his brother in his athletic events and supports his sister in her theatre and dance productions.
He also brings a great deal of laughter to our family. He and his brother and sister are always laughing together. Not too often at each other, but with each other. Our family is pretty close and we enjoy spending time together. We play Skip-Bo, we wrestle, and we make family trips to Wesco. (Yes that would be the gas station/convenience store.) Dakota plays “football” on the couch with his mother and Aunt Mame, he trash talks with Uncle Do, and he is always challenging the family to a race to see who can run faster. (His mother beat him, he may say he slipped, but she still beat him, and now she won’t accept a rematch.)
But it is Dakota’s heart and spirit that really make him special. He is a very tender and caring kid. He is sensitive to the feelings of those around him. He often is the one who can tell when I’ve had a tough day or when I am feeling stressed about the stuff of life. He, without much time at all, puts my feeling first and picks up my day. That means a lot to me.
This summer there was a family in Grand Haven whose home burned down. The house was just a few houses away from my office. A few days prior to the fire, Dakota and I had driven by and he noticed the dad and son outside playing catch. So when he found out which house had burned, he felt a connection. A week later, Dakota and three of his friends went door to door in the neighborhood collecting cans and donations for the family. With the money they collected, they purchased gift cards to Meijer, Target, and Dakota’s favorite restaurant, G and L. All totaled up, the boys collected over $1100.00 for the family in need.
Dakota is a great kid. He is a great brother. He is a great teammate. He is a great son. He is a great friend.
That’s my son. I’m very proud to call him that."
i better get an a dangit!!
posted by nathan sean @ Thursday, September 14, 2006
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