The Latta Family

Doesn't this sound so doom and gloom?  It sort of is.  It has come to my attention this week that Andrew is becoming aware that we're not all the same.  I've wondered for the last several years, when it would happen.  I knew it would eventually, but I've been thrilled with his lack of caring that his friends, teachers, teammates were different.  We've tried hard not to impart any prejudices on him.  There's plenty he'll learn from society.  Unfortunately, there's one set of prejudices we didn't exactly realize we influenced, and this particular set, sort of cracks me up. Here's a funny story, that involves Doug- and therefore cracks me up, and illustrates the way we unintentionally imparted our prejudices on Andrew.  Last year, we were going over Andrew's nightly word homework and when we got to one of the words there was a discrepancy about how exactly to pronounce it.  See, Andrew's teachers were both . . . Yankee's!  ...

The other day I took my class out walking around the track on the football field.  We like to do this on days when it's warm.  Sometimes we walk all together in one big clump, sometimes I walk by myself and let them talk about . . . whatever it is they like to talk about when I am not around, sometimes a few walk with me and a few walk ahead or behind.  This particular afternoon, I had about half of them walking with me and the others were all ahead of us.  I don't know what was up, if it was them or me, but holy cow they talked until my ears were buzzing!  On the first trip around the track, we trash talked each other about which one of us could lift up this gigantic dump truck tire.  I guess the coaches are using these gigantic tires for the boys to practice lifting them.  I don't know, but they're huge.  Laying down on their sides, they probably about come up to my hip.  In all honesty- they kids started it with me.  Saying , "Oh Mr...