Ty IS the guy!

This is Ty with his sweet classmate Johnathon.  Ty earned the unofficial position of "Johnathon's special helper" for the year.  Now, I don't know the specific reasons for Jonathon's needing a special helper, nor does Ty, nor does it matter.  But Jonathon did, in fact, need some TLC; someone to help him stay focused on certain tasks as well as steer him in the right direction most days.  

Apparently, Ty was just the guy for the job.  His teachers counted on him throughout the year and so did Jonathon.  I have to believe that Ty's time spent with Matthew (my down syndrome half brother) has trained him well.  Just one example of Ty's regard for Jonathon occurred earlier this year, when Ty truly felt that he was between a rock and hard place.  He made the decision to miss his pinewood derby in order to make his 2nd grade music/dance night because he had been intentionally partnered with Jonathon.  Trying to decide what to do brought Ty to tears.  Ty was just sure that Jonathon would not participate with anyone else as his partner.  And so, even with Ty's complete disgust with singing and worse -- dancing, he forewent his first pinewood derby to turn a dosey doe with Jonathon.  What a stud.  I am so proud of my boy.  

Here he is at the 2nd grade awards ceremony accepting his citizenship award.  We told Ty that this is the best award he could receive.  Better than being the fastest runner in his grade, better than an academic scholarship to Harvard, or a full-ride football scholarship to UT, better than valedictorian or most likely to succeed.  What matters most is how you treat people.  Cue the song: In the end, only kindness matters . . .  but we won't shake a stick at any scholarships to any school that you might earn.  Way to go Ty.  We just think you are pretty awesome and a good example to us all.  (Yay for Keiko Yesland too!  She's to Ty's right and she received the award for all of the girls in the class.  They could get married.  That'd be just fine.)

Ty, strategically placed next to Jonathon for the awards ceremony. 

Oh and here's what Ty unloaded from his backpack the last day of school.  Just a couple of things.