Mr. Do-it-All has had some milestones lately: the end of basketball season, his first band concert, his first time speaking in church, and his last paper route of the year. We duly documented them all.
Band: Zach played a number of percussion instruments and had a grand time. He loves the band. Side note: The boy next to him in the picture below is also in the 6th grade! Side side note: Zach is wearing his late Grandpa Dent's tie.
Basketball: He played on a strange team this year with a losing record and a...uh...coach that we didn't love. Zach is finding his niche as the outside man (there is probably a technical name for this) that makes the long shots and three-pointers. He hasn't nailed a shot at the buzzer or even sunk an outside shot, but he clearly has a natural ability he'd like to nurture. We're hoping that the winter season with the Y is more productive.
Zach spoke in church a couple of weeks ago, which is a rite of passage after turning 12. The bishopric caught Zach right away! He wrote his own talk, which included parts of a special family story. When my dad was 12, his house burned down three weeks before Christmas. Grandma Dixon recorded all of the kindness, generosity, and support that their community offered in the aftermath of their tragedy. Zach shared pieces of the story that were important to him (like how my dad's Deacons quorum bought him a white shirt, tie, and dress pants for church) and related that to the true meaning of Christmas. Incidentally, I shared the same story in Primary today. The kids and leaders alike were spellbound.
Zach has dutifully been completing his paper route each week, although not in the time frame I would prefer. Last week I told him if he wasn't ready to throw the papers by 5:00 he had to walk them along his route. He hurried right up yesterday. Ha. Hopefully 2014 will bring greater efficiency in Zach's employment.
Life with a 12-year-old is pretty rocky at this house, but we're grateful for the good in his life and try to focus on that.
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