Ryan, he's a Wonder. Yes!!! A true Wonder Boy!!!

Ryan and Pam are working hard at home doing Independent Study for seventh grade. Ryan is doing really well receiving four B’s and one A in his latest semester report card. Seventh grade has been an adjustment for Ryan. But, he’s looking forward to going back to Clement Middle School for eighth grade. If Ryan has stumbled, he remains unbowed.

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“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

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Ryan certainly is not a timid soul. And he’s had his share or victories and defeats. Ryan does his best and works hard through the bad times. He is moving steadily back to better times an better days
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Ryan recently received a First Place ribbon at the last school district Science Fair. When he was younger, he tried his hand at both organized baseball and organized basketball at the local Community Center. He still shots hoops occasionally with his Dad for highly contested games of “Horse”. Ryan specialty is the backward shot. Back to the basket, Ryan launches the ball two handed over his head and arching the shot into the waiting basket. Now, that’s what I call “Horse”!!! His recent fractured toe as limited his activity. But, he seems hale and hearty. Ready to tackle other endeavors.
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Ryan is working on honing his drawing skills. Working with pencil and paper, he is showing great improvement in learning the proportions and drawing of the human figure in motion. Though heavy handed at times, he is refining his style to achieve more realistic facial and figure drawing. His drawings are patterned on the popular Japanese Anime style of art.
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The Anime style is highly stylized with flamboyant long-legged figures. The people sport huge expressive eyes and the people are usually shown in dramatic action poses. The hair is wind blown with long swirls or highly coiffed in high and overly teased hairdos. Though not realistic the Anime people evoke high action and adventure with a unique usually sharp edged flair. These Heroic figures are usually equipped with sword, staff, and an assortment of Martial Arts weapons.
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Ryan’s drawing are usually inspired by the Comic Heroes of DC Comics (Batman, etc.) or Animated Television (Teen Titans, etc.) . But, it is the highly competitive and action packed arena of Video game design and programming that he eventually hopes to be in. Keep up the Good Work. You make us all Proud. ;-) DAD