What have your kids done lately to make you proud?

Dd#2, Molly, just started recently competing in cattle penning (a rodeo sport) ... this weekend was her third competition ...

She and her beginner team got a first place time yesterday  

We drove an hour and a half (both ways) to the arena to watch her for about half an hour but it was worth it because she made us so proud and she had so much fun   

She's the little one in my avatar that is almost 13 now  

My kids are almost 29 and 21, but they continue to make me proud.

My DS is married and living across the country from me. He works very hard at his job and his marriage. He has paid off all of their debt and they are now saving for a house. He has done a lot of growing up in the past couple of years.

My DD is in college and has spent this school year in China. She has some health issues and I was really afraid of her going so far away on her own, but she has thrived. She asked me to come spend some time with her during one of her breaks, so I am leaving in a little over a week to go spend some time with her. I am so proud of the way she navigated around her issues to make solo trips around China. I am so thankful she wants to spend time some of her off time with me.

Marcy

My DD has been working really hard with her lacrosse team. He team isn't very good and they have just been getting killed in their games. But she works very hard at it and is encouraging to the other players. She has such a good attitude even losing as bad as they have been. She really gives it her all.

Tuesday, because of a clerical error, I will no longer be receiving my LH's pension benefits for my daughters. They were overpaid. It was a substantial amount. Anyway, after the initial anger and confusion settled my 16yo and 14yo starting searching online for jobs. I was proud. I assured them that them working wasn't necessary unless they wanted extra for themselves.

Friday my 8yo said a friend of hers was being teased by boys. Her friend was mad and planned on spreading rumors to get her revenge. My daughter told her not to retaliate. It would just make things worse. Plus the rumors were dishonest. She said, "mom she didn't listen to me. She spread the rumors anyway. I stayed out of it. If anyone asks me about it I will not lie. That's not nice."

My son is is the top scorer for his schools Academic Challenge Bowl this year. He is a smart cookie...

My high school freshman attended an 'art collective' party with a bunch of people she didn't know, and made great new friends and contacts from other schools in the area. She would never have thought about going into a room with a bunch of strangers last year. I'm so proud of her. She's also doing really well in school, has awesome friends, and is developing a maturity and confidence that are such a pleasure to see.

My 7th grader, who started playing the viola just last year, will be the principal viola in her school's advanced orchestra next year, beating out several kids who have been playing since they were in first grade or so. Her viola teacher has also lent her a very good and very expensive professional-level viola (yes, this makes me nervous, but it's an honor) to help bring her playing up to the next level and increase her chances of getting into our district's very selective performing and visual arts high school. This is a huge honor because she has historically lent this viola to the top player in her studio, and she chose DD over some older and more experienced players. DD was also one of only three 7th graders chosen to sing in the school's spring pop show. All the rest are 8th graders.

Thanks for the opportunity to brag. I am so proud of my girls!

My older son, who is off and away doing his own thing returned a text today. 

With him, the bar is set pretty low.

My sons are in college.  They both struggle and it is not easy for them.  My older one just got a $1200 scholarship for ROTC, and he was also chosen to get a stipend to design a web site for a research project at the university.  He has so much difficulty that I think these achievements are stressful for him also.  He sees them as pressure but I am proud.

My younger son is interviewing for his senior internship tomorrow and he said he really wanted to dress professionally.  It is totally unnecessary but it made me feel proud that he wants to present himself a certain way.

DD got a free classical guitar in December. She has been teaching herself to play it, with some help from a friend who plays as well. For a couple months she talked about auditioning for "coffeehouse " at her high school. It's kind of like an musician talent show. She practiced and practiced and auditioned and made it. For her birthday in mid March we bought her an aucoustic guitar, only about a week before her performance. Then, two days before she came down with a bad sore throat and didn't think she'd be able to sing!

I was so nervous for her. There were probably 150 of her peers there (only a handful of parents) and knowing she was nervous about her voice, I was nervous for her. But she killed it! She sang as well as she always does and played the guitar like she's played for years. She got such great applause. She astounds me with her courage.

My dd16 got herself a job and loves it. She works at a homestyle cafeteria that is quite famous in our state. She overcame her anxiety on her first day, yesterday, by crying in the car for only 3 songs. Evidently that was the time limit she have herself. She managed to make a friend at work, and told me she made sure to start a conversation with all the elderly customers eating alone. I am so proud that she saw that need for human interaction.

Ds11 is playing rec league this year after 2 seasons of travel baseball. He had some medical issues last year that prevented him from doing travel tryouts. He misses playing multiple games a weekend so much, but he is maintaining a positive attitude. Two things I noticed at his game yesterday... 1. He stood outside the dugout as his teammates came in from the field (he is pitcher and first base so he gets there first) to fist bump each one. 2. At the end of the game he shook hands with and thanked each coach.

My 4th grade student with a heart of gold...I was out friday afternoon so ds could get some teeth pulled. Our sub was fresh out of college and subbing for the first time. Another adult heard him tell her she did a great job as he left to get on the bus.

DD18 went and presented her portfolio at a private college she will be transferring to in the fall. She wants to be an art therapist. The professor loved all her work and gave her scholarship money on the spot. She will get it for all remaining years (3) there and probably triple the amount the next 2 years. (she missed an earlier deadline for larger amount this year as was made aware too late) The professor said she should put most of her pieces in her senior portfolio. BIG complement considering most were high school pieces as she just started college and hasn't much college work yer. Such a nice confirmation she is one the right path and confidence booster.

Professor also pointed out to DD that she only needs one more class to minor in psychology so that is a given. And this professor went to the graduate school DD wants to attend so she is more than willing to guide/help DD on that path, too.

I am so thrilled for her. I swear she walked a little taller when she got home! and she is already 6 foot-ish!

@anxiosmom  that made me laugh out loud!  Ds16 because his text responses are often "K".  Just "K".  I tease him by asking if it's too much trouble to add the "o" to  the front of "k". He laughs and knows it's "lazy and stupid" but I continue to receive the customary "K".  Love him anyhoo... 

My son is less than a month away from graduating college, has earned awesome grades throughout, and that is a big deal to me!! My daughter, also a college student, is picking the right types of people to spend time with. This was a problem for her in the past so we are thrilled.

Oldest DS is finishing up the application process for his Eagle Scout award. He should have the award in hand just in time for his 18th birthday.

Younger DS decided to take up trumpet. When he started middle school he was determined to play tuba. He had to start on baritone because he was too small for tuba in 6th grade. He did that for two years and switched to tuba this year. He loved it and has joined the local youth orchestra as a tuba player. This week he switched instruments for middle school band because they don't have "any good trumpets" he says. He brought it home Friday to practice the music for the upcoming concert and he did great at it right away. not only that, he kept playing and practicing. He put in nearly 8 hours of practice this weekend. I'm happy he'll be successful at the instrument, but I'm proud that he dedicated the time he needed to learn it like that.

also, can I say that musicians amaze me?  My kids have added instruments before and it's always amazes me how quickly they can pick up a new one.  When I express my astonishment at how easily they do this, my musician husband looks at me weird and reminds me that this is perfectly normal for musicians.  New instruments are not a big deal.  It seems once you gain the skill on one, it's easy to pick up the next one.  That's just mind boggling to someone who can't even learn one.