Smart Mouth

Over a month ago, Cody had a parent teacher conference.  It was a bad one… but not unusual for him.  Since elementary school we have been fighting a battle with him, to get him to work to his capabilities.  But now it was worse… he was reading his books in class (again!!), and not turning in most of his homework… he was barely passing a few classes.  It was too much for me, I cried right there in the classroom.  In front of his teacher and in front of him.  His teacher looked at him and said, Oh Cody…. don’t you see what you are doing to your mother?  Cody looked at me, but his face refused to give away any emotion and I had no idea if he could see what he was doing to me.

Fast forward to now… every Friday I drop Carsten off at dance and then I run errands.  Cody rides the bus home from school and I get back home at around five, bringing him dinner.  Last night I was at Wal-Mart hunting for supplies for the Leprechaun trap Carsten was making me build (I hate you Leslie!) when Cody called my cell phone, teasingly he said, I have some very good news for yooooooooou!  I asked what it was.  He said, Nope.  Not telling.  I want to tell you in person.

I nearly killed people trying to get out of Wal-Mart as fast as I could.  I got home and ran into the house.  He handed me three pieces of paper, with a HUGE grin on his face.  They were grade reports from three classes… stating that he had an A (or was a few points from an A) in every class.  At the bottom of the third paper his Math teacher wrote me a note.  (this is the teacher that I cried in front of)  It said that Cody’s MAP test scores were higher than almost all of the kids in the gifted program.

I got all choked up.  I smiled.  I told him how proud I was of him.  I told him I always knew he could do it and I was SO happy that now he had.  Then we sat down to eat and I said, I am just curious… what changed?  I have been trying to get you to do this for years…. what happened?  Then I added a bunch of babbling, like…. not that change is bad!  Change is GOOD!  And I am not complaining… you don’t think I am complaining, do you?  Because I’m NOT!  haha.  (nervous laughter)

He sat there for a minute and then said, Instead of telling you?  Could you just look up the lyrics to a song?  And change the “us” in the song to “it”?

Ummmmmm, OF! COURSE! I! CAN!

So, he told me what song and I pretended to be mildly interested, while I jammed my food down my throat and then tripped over myself running to my computer.

haha

Then I looked up the song.  The song is Whatever it Takes, by Lifehouse.  And, well… rather than explaining, I am just going to post the lyrics…. (BTW, I changed “us” to “it” for you….)

A strangled smile fell from your face
It kills me that I hurt you this way
The worst part is that I didn’t even know
Now there’s a million reasons for you to go
But if you can find a reason to stay

I’ll do whatever it takes
To turn this around
I know what’s at stake
I know that I’ve let you down
And if you give me a chance
Believe that I can change
I’ll keep it together whatever it takes

She said “If we’re gonna make this work
You gotta let me inside even though it hurts
Don’t hide the broken parts that I need to see”
She said “Like it or not it’s the way it’s gotta be
You gotta love yourself if you can ever love me”

I’ll do whatever it takes
To turn this around
I know what’s at stake
I know that I’ve let you down
And if you give me a chance
And give me a break
I’ll keep it together, I know you deserve much better

But remember the time I told you the way that I felt
That I’d be lost without you and never find myself
Let’s hold onto each other above everything else
Start over, start over

I’ll do whatever it takes
To turn this around
I know what’s at stake
I know I’ve let you down
And if you give me a chance
And believe that I can change
I’ll keep it together whatever it takes.

So, yeah.  Yesterday?  Best. Mom. Day. EVER