An Amazing Surprise

At the end of every month Mr. H sends an email to all the 1st grade parents to applaud the children who didn't get any cards pulled that month.  It's like torture every month for a couple of reasons.  First, he puts "Behavior" in the subject line.  Being a parent of a child who is frequently in trouble and getting an email entitled "Behavior" makes my heart drop.  Then I open the email and realize it isn't about my kid, but it's about all the kids who had no trouble at all.  Oh, isn't that just swell.  And it's the same kids month after month. 

Today when I got the email I seriously almost sent a reply that said "Unsubscribe". 

HOWEVER . . . no, Ben's name wasn't on the email.  BUT. . . . Ben did bring home his monthly list of pulled cards.  Here is what I am used to seeing (this is August through January, and only the green cards - but yes, he pulled yellow and even one red before).  My favorite is 1/11/11 for "Jumping in front of overhead lights".  Yup, that's Ben.

And here is what I found when I looked at Ben's card this month:

And I just need to say, on February 7th, there was a substitute teacher.  Isn't some bad behavior expected?

Seriously though folks, my eyes watered when I saw this card.  I was more proud of that kid in that moment than I have been for many other things.  He worked very hard to have such a "clean" card.

In other great news, Ben brought me a contraband cookie today that he got from a friend at school!  Not only did I give him a dollar for that according to our deal, I gave him some extra dollars to reward him for his behavior in school this last month.  We are making progress, people.  We are making progress.