Caveman's report card

Regular blog readers likely know I have two sons - Fitzroy Junior is my eldest at 12 and the Caveman just turned 10. 

When most of my friends in fastball see me and talk about the non-fastball stories on this blog, they usually refer to the Caveman stories and how much they enjoy them. (And I really appreciate the feedback.)

It's not that I love the Caveman any more than Fitzroy Junior. It's just that while Fitzroy Junior is an easy-going kid, intelligent, well-adjusted, and a pleasure to be around, he's not as unintentionally humorous as his younger brother. Few people are, really.

Just a way of comparison, they both recently scored goals for their house league hockey teams. When Fitzroy Junior scored for his peewee team, he gave a quick arm pump, high-fived his line mates and lined up at centre ice.  When the Caveman scored for his atom team recently, there was a diving "celly". Then as he was skating back to centre ice with some music was playing over the public address system, he began a butt-wiggling dance on the left wing with his back to the crowd, perfectly timed to the beat, cracking up every single parent in the stands. (Who all of course look at me at the same time, and I just shrug and say "He gets that from his mother.")

It's not that he's hamming it up for those in attendance - that's just how he acts all day every day, the perfect combination of natural funniness and a naïveté / lack of self-conciousness that allows him to do what he feels without being embarrassed.  

All these stories in the blog about the Caveman are true. I am not creative enough to make them up. Sure, sometimes the scenarios are "edited" a bit for publication, but they are true stories. 

I share the Caveman stories verbally with family, co-workers and "non-softball" friends. Quite frequently the responses are "Man, what a kid. You should be writing this stuff down." Which of course, I am on this blog.

And of course, the Caveman is not really aware that I have effectively been documenting his childhood online for these last six years since this first story about him turned out to be so popular.. He has asked me a few times when he comes to the ball diamond with me during season "How do all these guys know me, Daddy?"  I am not sure how he'll react when he finds out sometime in the future the extent to which I have been writing and sharing this stuff on the Inter-web.

Anyway, the Caveman is a not just a source of laughs. He's actually a really good student (as is his brother). So, in fairness to me spilling the beans on the all the crazy stuff he's done and said since 2009, I am going to give him some proper recognition based on his recent Grade 4 report card that came home this week. Actual quotes, with his real name replaced with "Caveman", below:

[Caveman] is having a wonderful year. He continues to shine in all areas of the curriculum. He is an excellent role model to his peers, as he continues to go above and beyond with all his work.....[Caveman's] focus and participation is exemplary of a student both engrossed in his learning and ready for success. [Caveman] has an outgoing personality and is well liked by all his classmates. He is always looking for ways to help his teacher and classmates. 

Can't say I ever had report card comments like that.