The times they are ahhh...changin'....

This is the second day in a row James's alarm clock went off at 6:30am.  To shower.  Yup.  You read that correctly.  He's waking up thirty minutes early to take a shower and "do his hair."

Have I mentioned he's taken up running?  Almost every day after school for the past few weeks, he goes for a run around our entire neighborhood.  One big lap is just short of one mile.

He has a renewed zest to get straight A's this semester and is working harder than usual.

He asked to wear his football jersey to school today.

He begged and pleaded for an Instagram account so he can start taking pictures and share them with friends.

He received Axe body spray from Grandpa and Ita for Christmas and even though it makes his skin break out, he still wears it.

Why??

You may have guessed....

James told me on Friday that he "has a girlfriend."

This is as preposterous as it sounds but I smiled and asked him who it is.

He couldn't have picked a smarter, cuter, sweeter girl and even though it's completely silly, I have indulged him just a little by asking a few questions but trying not to pry too much.  I want him to know he can trust me and tell me these things.

It doesn't hurt that I still volunteer in his class every Wednesday morning and the young girl's mom is a teacher at the school.

In the meantime, perhaps this extra incentive isn't so bad afterall-- he's clean.  He smells good.  He's exercising.  He's getting all A's.

She can stay.