Jasper

 "Do you want to be best friends?  

a box for yes, a box for no."

There's nothing like a best friend and I would be remiss if I passed up on the opportunity to write about Kuba's very best friend, Jasper. Because....well, Jasper moved this week! He moved all the way across the country to Idaho.  And that's far.

As you can see from the map, Idaho is indeed far, far away.  

This is a big change and a significant moment marked in time.  

We are happy for Jasper and his family, but honestly, 

(and a little (lot?) selfishly) we are so very sad for us.  

Jasper and Kuba have known each other since babydom, and have been friends ever since.  They've lived around the corner from one another so are also neighborhood buddies. They hang out at each other's houses so much that in fact, Jasper feels like family. They've traveled from pre-school to elementary school, to middle school and finally to high school together.  They've done art camp and drama together, been on the Ultimate frisbee team, as well as about a gazillion other creative and awesome things.  After elementary school their group of friends formed a "Summer club" and did tons and tons of fun stuff each summer as a group. Kuba, Jasper, Sam, Gus, Felix, Kyle, Ella, and Iris were the group.  Magical.  

What I love so much about Jasper is his beautiful face with the most dazzling smile.  He could light up the night sky with that smile!  He's funny, hip, sensitive, and honest. He's savvy and has style. He's smart, talented and mostly just SO MUCH FUN! He has charisma, is generous with his affection, and has been someone I too have adored.  The two of them have been a treasure for me. Listening to them, watching them and seeing them grow up together -with each other as a support- is a dream come true for any parent of young teens. You can imagine the sadness we feel. But how lucky is Kuba to have a friend that makes saying goodbye so hard?  And how lucky am I to have had a young friend that could teach me all the slang a modern teacher should know. 

I will certainly be sending texts to Jasper once the school year gets started and the words my kids use confuse me.  SALTY, WRIZZ, LRIZZ, DRIP, GOAT, LIT, are words I now know thanks to my slang lessons with Jasper! Needless to say, we are all going to miss this freak. And we mean this in the most loving way possible.  I am not quite sure how Kuba will navigate without him.  

Pre School 

Summer Club

First High School Dance

  

Last moment before leaving Vermont. 

(I see a cominuladid expression on Kuba's face!)