BFF

It started out simply enough last summer.  Jacob was starting his 3rd new school in 4 years in the fall, and came home from an afternoon at the playground, excited that he'd found someone (anyone) who would be starting at the new school with him.  He didn't have many details, just that Connor, a kid he'd known at Harrit, would also be moving to Kalapuya with the boundary re-alignment.

Fast forward to the first day of school - another bright moment when Jacob and Connor were assigned to the same 3rd grade class.  Their friendship quickly grew, and I got to see glimpses of it when I volunteered in their class.  While the rotation of other friendships has ebbed and flowed, these two have remained tight, and it's no wonder:

Jacob and Connor

these two are peas in a pod, both smart and sweet, a pair of old souls who manage to remain somewhat blissfully naive in an age when their peers are swearing and fighting and acting out.  Connor is a good kid, the kind of friend you pray your child finds while you're praying just as hard they don't get mixed up in the wrong crowd.   This picture is one of the few of my boy lately with a genuine smile - he's hit such a self conscious stage that most of his smiles are stiff and contrived.  This grin is just him, happy.