Recently, I picked up my youngest brother (DB3) from college. He has just finished his freshman year. He was majoring in pharmacy.
School had always come very easily up until this year. Calculus, chemistry, biology, and physics at that level are hard. Hard enough that it was hard for him. On top of never really having any subject that was hard, he had to deal with multiple subjects that were hard at the same time.
So DB3 solution. Stop going to school. Get an entry job doing something. Maybe go to the community college to get an "easy" degree.
I'm not trying to knock on community colleges. I think they are great. However, I don't get the "easy" part. Or maybe I should say I don't agree with the "easy" part.
Most things I have done in life that bring me the most pride and satisfaction were not easy. School was not easy for me. Particularly in elementary school. I had to try hard from an early age to "get" many academic concepts. Now I think I was also learning something other than the specific skills (which were important enough in their own right).
Hard does not equal bad. You need to look at what the end result of the work will be. Do I think it will be worth the effort in the end? Do I think I can do it? Not necessarily without some failure, but can I do it in the end. After 6 years of Spanish, I decided realistically learning a foriegn language decently was not in the cards for me.
Recently, I accepted a board position. Part of my duties were to update a packet. Technically, all I had to do was replace some names with some other names and update dates. The problem was the finish product looked sloppy. Over a period of many years, people just added new things. There were 8 fonts and I don't know how many sizes used. Single space, 1.5 space, double spaced. List (some with bullets, others made with check marks, others numbered, others lettered). Random use of tabs, spaces, and returns. Random forms that are not used. Ugh. I couldn't just replace the names. It is all now in the same font and sizes (larger size for the titles of the sections, smaller for the details). If it is a list of points that don't have to be followed in order, it has dot bullets, with one space between each line. If it needs to be done in order, it is numbered. The document was 31 pages (one sided) last year. This year 9 (double sided). I probably would have been better off just retyping the whole thing in a fresh document (but I decided that too far into the "fixing"). When I was done, it was a lot harder than it could have been. But it also looks a whole lot better. I don't think many (if anyone) will notice. I know. I also won't have a problem claiming it as my work. It was worth it.
It is the idea that doing something that is hard or doing it the hard way or not taking the easy way out is something I'm trying to teach. Pyrope has many challenges. Speaking, listening, developing an attention span. Obsidian has challenges. Learning new physical tasks (yes, I know since he is so small I can carry him up and down stairs instead of making him do it, and yes I know it is hard for him to do it, but he is not going to get any better if he is always carried). Learning when it is best to keep one's mouth shut.
Hard is not something to be afraid of. There is such a thing as too easy.
Balance. It is all about balance.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
He cracks me up
People have a tendency to remember Obsidian after they meet him. While some remember his size, more remember his actions. "Spit fire", "pistol", "character", "piece of work", and other such phrases are what I hear.
Jet took the boys out to breakfast. There was a little girl at the next booth who was about 2 years old. The whole time they played with each other. When it was time to go, they kissed each other. The child is a flirt.
The week after Easter, Obsidian asked to eat candy from his Easter basket shortly after breakfast. I told him no, not until after lunch. About 20 minutes later, Obsidian leads me to the backdoor and tells me "Look at that. Somefing in driveway." I go outside to figure out what he is talking about. I hear the door close and the deadbolt turn. I stand at the door looking in the window. Obsidian is quickly pushing a chair up to the counter, getting his Easter basket down, and sitting on the floor helping himself. Pyrope walks into the kitchen at about this time. I motion and yell to him to open the door. Obsidian tells him not to and offers him M&M's. All the while looking at me with a glint in his eye. Pyrope decides to get the M&M. I get the spare key and let myself back into the house. Then on principle of the whole situation, take away the rest of Obsidian's Easter basket permanently and some of Pyrope's M&M's. Obsidian was not impressed with this consequence but kept his comments at a minimum. I had to repeatedly explain to Pyrope why he was losing candy (bottom line, you should listen to Mom, not your brother). I tell Jet the story after the kids go to bed. He laughs. Hysterically. Even by that point, I was somewhat laughing. It would be very funny if it wasn't my kid. My kid that is not even 3 years old. That I have years of parenting to go.
If Pyrope wakes up at night, if he can't immediately find us (any time we are not sleeping in bed ourselves). He cries and walks in circles. And typically starts to seriously panic. Then there is Obsidian. He'll wake up and we will here him calling "Mommy! (or Daddy, depending on his mood) Where are you? I wake. I no sleeping!" Then, in a minute or two later, a head will pop out from the door of the room we are in. "Peek-a-you!" (note, he has never said peek-a-boo, it is always peek-a-you). He will then reiterate the fact he is not sleeping. Sometimes he will say he is hungry, thirsty, had a dream, just wanted to see us, or whatever else was on his mind. Most of the time, this is so humorous, that we laugh on the spot. Which doesn't help stop it from happening again.
So while I can see some...challenging... parenting moments in my future (as I do with Pyrope, but for entirely different reasons). I just can't help but laugh. Even when I simultaneously want to pull out my hair. I just hope I can keep saying that.
He does crack me up.
Jet took the boys out to breakfast. There was a little girl at the next booth who was about 2 years old. The whole time they played with each other. When it was time to go, they kissed each other. The child is a flirt.
The week after Easter, Obsidian asked to eat candy from his Easter basket shortly after breakfast. I told him no, not until after lunch. About 20 minutes later, Obsidian leads me to the backdoor and tells me "Look at that. Somefing in driveway." I go outside to figure out what he is talking about. I hear the door close and the deadbolt turn. I stand at the door looking in the window. Obsidian is quickly pushing a chair up to the counter, getting his Easter basket down, and sitting on the floor helping himself. Pyrope walks into the kitchen at about this time. I motion and yell to him to open the door. Obsidian tells him not to and offers him M&M's. All the while looking at me with a glint in his eye. Pyrope decides to get the M&M. I get the spare key and let myself back into the house. Then on principle of the whole situation, take away the rest of Obsidian's Easter basket permanently and some of Pyrope's M&M's. Obsidian was not impressed with this consequence but kept his comments at a minimum. I had to repeatedly explain to Pyrope why he was losing candy (bottom line, you should listen to Mom, not your brother). I tell Jet the story after the kids go to bed. He laughs. Hysterically. Even by that point, I was somewhat laughing. It would be very funny if it wasn't my kid. My kid that is not even 3 years old. That I have years of parenting to go.
If Pyrope wakes up at night, if he can't immediately find us (any time we are not sleeping in bed ourselves). He cries and walks in circles. And typically starts to seriously panic. Then there is Obsidian. He'll wake up and we will here him calling "Mommy! (or Daddy, depending on his mood) Where are you? I wake. I no sleeping!" Then, in a minute or two later, a head will pop out from the door of the room we are in. "Peek-a-you!" (note, he has never said peek-a-boo, it is always peek-a-you). He will then reiterate the fact he is not sleeping. Sometimes he will say he is hungry, thirsty, had a dream, just wanted to see us, or whatever else was on his mind. Most of the time, this is so humorous, that we laugh on the spot. Which doesn't help stop it from happening again.
So while I can see some...challenging... parenting moments in my future (as I do with Pyrope, but for entirely different reasons). I just can't help but laugh. Even when I simultaneously want to pull out my hair. I just hope I can keep saying that.
He does crack me up.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Thankful Thursday
- The craziness of the last month is winding down. Yesterday was Pyrope's last day of preschool. Today is the last day of Pyrope's swimming lessons. After Friday, there will be a little over a 3 week break from gymnastics.
- Friday and Saturday we are predicted to have a break from rain. So far for the month there have been 5 days where there was not a recordable amount of rain. April was similarly wet.
- Obsidian can ride his 2 wheeler with training wheels everywhere without help including starting. And get on and off on his own. His endurance is getting better too.
- Obsidian's new DAFO's (foot braces came in on Wednesday).
- Obsidian likes his new braces (this was not so when he got his first pair when he was 14 months old).
- Pyrope's reading is continuing to improved daily. It has been a while since he has cried over having to read if you don't count having to read the word "I" (Don't ask. For some reason he can not get this word.) Pyrope even read a book (very short and simple) to his class.
- Pyrope has made some significant discoveries about words and reading this week. There are words everywhere, and they are put there to tell people things (these are new revelations to him. And it is motivating him to try to learn how to read more)
- My lilac bushes are in bloom. They are my absolute favorite flower. I have some on my table and above this sink on the windowsill. And of course in the yard.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
To whom it may concern
To whom it may concern:
I would really like a week of sunshine, without a single episode (much less full day) of rain. Please don't misinterpret this. I am not asking for a drought. Enough rain for my garden to grow, enough sun that I'm not vitamin D deficient all summer. A little balance would be great.
Thanks
I would really like a week of sunshine, without a single episode (much less full day) of rain. Please don't misinterpret this. I am not asking for a drought. Enough rain for my garden to grow, enough sun that I'm not vitamin D deficient all summer. A little balance would be great.
Thanks
Monday, May 9, 2011
Still going up
This morning, Jet spoke to his mom.
The good news is she has had her last dose of her current chemo drugs.
The bad news. The cancer markers continue to go up. So she started a new chemo drug. This one is administered once a month. The side effects are known to be worse. It is known to be particularly hard on the heart. She has been having swelling since the 3rd round of chemo. She is to not get too warm. Not to go outside when it is warm. Not eat foods that are too hot. Not to drink hot tea or coffee, or at least when they are hot. She had her first round this past week. There will be a total of 4 rounds.
What is the prognosis? I don't know. I asked Jet. But he had not asked his mom. She didn't say. I'm guessing it is not as good as it was going into the first round of chemo.
The good news is she has had her last dose of her current chemo drugs.
The bad news. The cancer markers continue to go up. So she started a new chemo drug. This one is administered once a month. The side effects are known to be worse. It is known to be particularly hard on the heart. She has been having swelling since the 3rd round of chemo. She is to not get too warm. Not to go outside when it is warm. Not eat foods that are too hot. Not to drink hot tea or coffee, or at least when they are hot. She had her first round this past week. There will be a total of 4 rounds.
What is the prognosis? I don't know. I asked Jet. But he had not asked his mom. She didn't say. I'm guessing it is not as good as it was going into the first round of chemo.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Coordination
As a general rule, Pyrope is my coordinated child. Usually.
These last two weeks have been a very interesting mixture of him making significant gains in new gross motor skills and regular spectacular displays of uncoordination.
In ice skating, he has not only learned to stop on command and skate backwards with some actual speed. He also learned how to switch from skating backwards to forwards and vice verse without stopping between. He can also be skating forward and catch a puck with his stick and skate with the puck in a controlled fashion (instead of hitting the puck ahead, catching up, then repeating).
In swimming, he now can be on his stomach and roll over to his back or roll from his back to his stomach. He started treading water. For the first time ever on Thursday, he was able to do an actual front crawl stroke instead of the doggie paddle he had been doing or having his face in and just kicking. Then, a few minutes later, he was doing the front crawl again, he paused to get a breath (using his new treading water skill), then put his head back in the water and continued with the front crawl back to the wall. This is amazing progress (he has been progressing nicely, but these are really significant leaps in a period of maybe 2 weeks).
On the other hand, he has had some spectacular mishaps. He tripped walking on the sidewalk (not on a crack or anything, just his feet). He didn't just fall, but his motion kept going and he rolled up onto his one shoulder, both feet in the air bending up behind him. It even got comments from strangers. He has walked into trees (not because he wasn't looking, he has done that, but simply because he didn't realize how close he was getting that quickly), rode his bike into the garage (not into the garage as into the building, but as in he didn't stop and hit the garage), and has hit his hand (hard) onto walks when he was just walking (too) close to the wall (then almost cried because he hit has hand so hard). The one day he went to sit on a chair, and missed the chair and was sitting on the floor right in front of the chair.
It is an interesting contrast so see him gain so many skills while at the exact same time having so many issues with things that don't typically cause him problems.
It almost makes me wish that I tracked Pyrope's height and weight more like I do Obsidian's (but I don't as he is growing normally and there is no particular reason to). I would guess that I would be seeing some significant growth. Right now we are transitioning from purely winter clothes, so spring clothes, and there have even been a few days of shorts and t-shirts. So I don't have the best handle of which clothes he is outgrowing (plus summer clothes, you have to grow a lot before it really shows, so I won't have a real feel for it until fall, of which he rarely fits into anything he did in the spring... unlike Obsidian who I put into his 6 month shorts today that he wore last summer and the summer before and they still fit, they are right at his knees (the first summer he wore them they were below his knees, I just have to remind myself of that fact)).
So I get the joy of watching Pyrope quickly gain new skills, the humor of many of his incidents, and a few "I hope he didn't get really hurt" between the two sets of events....
These last two weeks have been a very interesting mixture of him making significant gains in new gross motor skills and regular spectacular displays of uncoordination.
In ice skating, he has not only learned to stop on command and skate backwards with some actual speed. He also learned how to switch from skating backwards to forwards and vice verse without stopping between. He can also be skating forward and catch a puck with his stick and skate with the puck in a controlled fashion (instead of hitting the puck ahead, catching up, then repeating).
In swimming, he now can be on his stomach and roll over to his back or roll from his back to his stomach. He started treading water. For the first time ever on Thursday, he was able to do an actual front crawl stroke instead of the doggie paddle he had been doing or having his face in and just kicking. Then, a few minutes later, he was doing the front crawl again, he paused to get a breath (using his new treading water skill), then put his head back in the water and continued with the front crawl back to the wall. This is amazing progress (he has been progressing nicely, but these are really significant leaps in a period of maybe 2 weeks).
On the other hand, he has had some spectacular mishaps. He tripped walking on the sidewalk (not on a crack or anything, just his feet). He didn't just fall, but his motion kept going and he rolled up onto his one shoulder, both feet in the air bending up behind him. It even got comments from strangers. He has walked into trees (not because he wasn't looking, he has done that, but simply because he didn't realize how close he was getting that quickly), rode his bike into the garage (not into the garage as into the building, but as in he didn't stop and hit the garage), and has hit his hand (hard) onto walks when he was just walking (too) close to the wall (then almost cried because he hit has hand so hard). The one day he went to sit on a chair, and missed the chair and was sitting on the floor right in front of the chair.
It is an interesting contrast so see him gain so many skills while at the exact same time having so many issues with things that don't typically cause him problems.
It almost makes me wish that I tracked Pyrope's height and weight more like I do Obsidian's (but I don't as he is growing normally and there is no particular reason to). I would guess that I would be seeing some significant growth. Right now we are transitioning from purely winter clothes, so spring clothes, and there have even been a few days of shorts and t-shirts. So I don't have the best handle of which clothes he is outgrowing (plus summer clothes, you have to grow a lot before it really shows, so I won't have a real feel for it until fall, of which he rarely fits into anything he did in the spring... unlike Obsidian who I put into his 6 month shorts today that he wore last summer and the summer before and they still fit, they are right at his knees (the first summer he wore them they were below his knees, I just have to remind myself of that fact)).
So I get the joy of watching Pyrope quickly gain new skills, the humor of many of his incidents, and a few "I hope he didn't get really hurt" between the two sets of events....
World Events
Earlier this week, I was talking to a friend about the Royal Wedding. She remembers watching Princess Diana's wedding. Her daughter was late for preschool on Friday as she was watching Princess Kate getting married. To be completely honest, I didn't watch it or really even follow it. I love a good fairy tale, but it just isn't my cup of tea. I don't think I watched Princess Diana's wedding either. I have no memory of it at all. I was just shy of 3 years old at the time.
As I was just going to bed, the news that Osama Bin Laden was killed by US troops hit. I was up, and glued to the TV. I thought of waking Pyrope to watch with me. If he was a year or two older I would have. But his is not quite old enough.
My mind snapped back to the Invasion of Grenada. I was in 2nd grade. I remember my dad waking me up early that morning, and watching TV with him. I vaguely remember the discussions of the ramifications of the invasion. I remember sensing what an event like this means but at the same time realizing I was not fully understanding what I was watching. I remember watching Reagan making a speech. I thought how funny it was that I remember the Grenada invasion, but not Princess Diana's wedding. I thought to myself, maybe it was because I was too young. But as I continue to watch the coverage, my mind slipped to other 'National Moments'. Challenger exploding, a few months after the Grenada invasion. That I was interested in, and I have very very clear memories of. I understood what happened. More so than many adults. My mind slipped to my first memory of a 'National Event'. Reagan's assassination attempt. I was in Florida. At a parade. A parade where some float was throwing out bead necklaces. I remember the necklaces. I remember the sudden change in mood of the crowd. Of abruptly leaving and going back to the house of the friends we were visiting. I remember everyone except for me raptly watching the TV, and a vague wonder of what was happening and what all of this meant and what the big deal was. Doing the math, I realized I was younger at that point than I was for Diana's wedding.
So after I watched Obama's speech and several commentators saying the same thing. I made a decision. In the morning, I will wake up my boys early. Not a whole lot earlier than they normally wake up, but wake them up and eat breakfast in front of the TV with them, watching the coverage. I don't know if either or both of them will remember the moment. But I, following my parents path, will try to pass on such memories. A sense of what is important for our collective memory.
My friend's daughter will look back and remember Princess Kate's wedding. It is my hope, that if anything, my boys will look back and remember learning of Bin Laden's death. As a nation, we have paid a very high dear price.
As I was just going to bed, the news that Osama Bin Laden was killed by US troops hit. I was up, and glued to the TV. I thought of waking Pyrope to watch with me. If he was a year or two older I would have. But his is not quite old enough.
My mind snapped back to the Invasion of Grenada. I was in 2nd grade. I remember my dad waking me up early that morning, and watching TV with him. I vaguely remember the discussions of the ramifications of the invasion. I remember sensing what an event like this means but at the same time realizing I was not fully understanding what I was watching. I remember watching Reagan making a speech. I thought how funny it was that I remember the Grenada invasion, but not Princess Diana's wedding. I thought to myself, maybe it was because I was too young. But as I continue to watch the coverage, my mind slipped to other 'National Moments'. Challenger exploding, a few months after the Grenada invasion. That I was interested in, and I have very very clear memories of. I understood what happened. More so than many adults. My mind slipped to my first memory of a 'National Event'. Reagan's assassination attempt. I was in Florida. At a parade. A parade where some float was throwing out bead necklaces. I remember the necklaces. I remember the sudden change in mood of the crowd. Of abruptly leaving and going back to the house of the friends we were visiting. I remember everyone except for me raptly watching the TV, and a vague wonder of what was happening and what all of this meant and what the big deal was. Doing the math, I realized I was younger at that point than I was for Diana's wedding.
So after I watched Obama's speech and several commentators saying the same thing. I made a decision. In the morning, I will wake up my boys early. Not a whole lot earlier than they normally wake up, but wake them up and eat breakfast in front of the TV with them, watching the coverage. I don't know if either or both of them will remember the moment. But I, following my parents path, will try to pass on such memories. A sense of what is important for our collective memory.
My friend's daughter will look back and remember Princess Kate's wedding. It is my hope, that if anything, my boys will look back and remember learning of Bin Laden's death. As a nation, we have paid a very high dear price.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Early lessons on empathy
Pyrope and Obsidian's friends (who are sisters) started playing with Squinkies. They are stupid tiny soft rubber figures. They are a fad toy. Particularly Obsidian's friend loves playing with them. As a consequence, Obsidian loves playing with them. They are now coming out with boy themed sets. Be still my heart. The kids play all sort of pretend games with them. Line them up. Bounce them on my hardwood floor. Count them. See how many they can hold in their hand at a time. All in all, they aren't a terrible fad toy. A lot more merit to them than Silly Bandz.
After each reading lesson, Pyrope gets a sticker. The stickers are in rows of 10 (in an effort to start introducing the concept of grouping). After each row is completed, Pyrope gets a prize from his prize box (which are junky little toys that he loves to get). It gives him some motivation for getting through the reading lesson. The sticker chart also gives me a reason count with Pyrope. He only has one-to-one correspondence to 11, occasionally 12. Never 13.
So one day this last week, Pyrope was in the basement. I was in the kitchen doing something. Obsidian was kneeling in a chair at the kitchen table playing with their Squinkies. He was lining them up. He then started to go down the line and count them, several times. 15 (that was the number he had). I started to discretely watch without him noticing as he was too involved. No mistakes counting. Consistently. Pyrope even if he counts to 11, needs help not skipping or counting the same one twice. Obsidian then started to make different lines and count how many were in each line, then how many there were all together. Then make different lines and do it again. He then started putting the Squinkies in groups. Groups of 2, groups of 3, groups of 4. Observing "Uh-oh" when he couldn't evenly make groups of 2 or 4, and clap and say "Yea!" when it worked out evenly for his groups of 3. He then tried another group of 6, and he looked at it confused and just gathered all of them up in his dump truck and walked off. Pyrope has never played with grouping much less made observations about the groups, and when I've tried to do it with him has pretty much gone right over his head.
It hit me. Obsidian has passed Pyrope in math skills. I had guessed this would happen. I did not think it would be so soon. Before Obsidian is 3. Before anyone has tried to teach Obsidian any math skill or concept. We haven't even worked on counting with Obsidian. He just started doing it. (After that first time, I've found Obsidian doing it with Squinkies again, and then I've seen him do it with cars, Cheerios. and various other objects.)
I began to wonder, when is Pyrope going to realize his little brother has passed him? When is Obsidian going to realize? I would bet that Obsidian will figure this out first. How are they going to react to this? I remember the first time my brother passed me with a skill. It was spelling. I was mad. And hurt. At him, and at myself. I still remember the confused fury I felt with the situation. However, I was older, much older (I'm talking maybe we were 9 and 7 years old). I remember how he help it over my head that he was better than me. That he could do things I couldn't.
I don't think that Pyrope will ever gain ground on Obsidian. It takes Pyrope so long to get any math concept (as well as some other concepts), that I have to repeat over and over again what is being taught in school at home. Which I'm guessing is how Obsidian started counting and playing with the basic math concepts that he experimenting with.now. As Obsidian is always going to hear me teaching Pyrope these concepts, I have a hunch, he will just pick them up at the same time. Only faster.
So how do I parent this one? I know that I want Obsidian to treat Pyrope with respect. There will be zero tolerance for teasing or belittling (as I would want him to not tease peers or anyone for not understanding something that he does). But above that, I want, or hope, that Obsidian will have a level of compassion, or empathy, or patience with Pyrope as he is trying to learn what comes so naturally, easily, and quickly to Obsidian. And I hope that this will carry over. To let Pyrope know that it is okay that he doesn't learn these concepts as quickly. It is okay to have have strong suits and weak suites. Pyrope is by far better at riding bikes, ice skating, skateboarding, climbing, running, jumping, exc than Obsidian. My guess is that he always will.
So patient empathy for Obsidian. Acceptance for Pyrope. And it is my hope that I can teach these lesson well.
After each reading lesson, Pyrope gets a sticker. The stickers are in rows of 10 (in an effort to start introducing the concept of grouping). After each row is completed, Pyrope gets a prize from his prize box (which are junky little toys that he loves to get). It gives him some motivation for getting through the reading lesson. The sticker chart also gives me a reason count with Pyrope. He only has one-to-one correspondence to 11, occasionally 12. Never 13.
So one day this last week, Pyrope was in the basement. I was in the kitchen doing something. Obsidian was kneeling in a chair at the kitchen table playing with their Squinkies. He was lining them up. He then started to go down the line and count them, several times. 15 (that was the number he had). I started to discretely watch without him noticing as he was too involved. No mistakes counting. Consistently. Pyrope even if he counts to 11, needs help not skipping or counting the same one twice. Obsidian then started to make different lines and count how many were in each line, then how many there were all together. Then make different lines and do it again. He then started putting the Squinkies in groups. Groups of 2, groups of 3, groups of 4. Observing "Uh-oh" when he couldn't evenly make groups of 2 or 4, and clap and say "Yea!" when it worked out evenly for his groups of 3. He then tried another group of 6, and he looked at it confused and just gathered all of them up in his dump truck and walked off. Pyrope has never played with grouping much less made observations about the groups, and when I've tried to do it with him has pretty much gone right over his head.
It hit me. Obsidian has passed Pyrope in math skills. I had guessed this would happen. I did not think it would be so soon. Before Obsidian is 3. Before anyone has tried to teach Obsidian any math skill or concept. We haven't even worked on counting with Obsidian. He just started doing it. (After that first time, I've found Obsidian doing it with Squinkies again, and then I've seen him do it with cars, Cheerios. and various other objects.)
I began to wonder, when is Pyrope going to realize his little brother has passed him? When is Obsidian going to realize? I would bet that Obsidian will figure this out first. How are they going to react to this? I remember the first time my brother passed me with a skill. It was spelling. I was mad. And hurt. At him, and at myself. I still remember the confused fury I felt with the situation. However, I was older, much older (I'm talking maybe we were 9 and 7 years old). I remember how he help it over my head that he was better than me. That he could do things I couldn't.
I don't think that Pyrope will ever gain ground on Obsidian. It takes Pyrope so long to get any math concept (as well as some other concepts), that I have to repeat over and over again what is being taught in school at home. Which I'm guessing is how Obsidian started counting and playing with the basic math concepts that he experimenting with.now. As Obsidian is always going to hear me teaching Pyrope these concepts, I have a hunch, he will just pick them up at the same time. Only faster.
So how do I parent this one? I know that I want Obsidian to treat Pyrope with respect. There will be zero tolerance for teasing or belittling (as I would want him to not tease peers or anyone for not understanding something that he does). But above that, I want, or hope, that Obsidian will have a level of compassion, or empathy, or patience with Pyrope as he is trying to learn what comes so naturally, easily, and quickly to Obsidian. And I hope that this will carry over. To let Pyrope know that it is okay that he doesn't learn these concepts as quickly. It is okay to have have strong suits and weak suites. Pyrope is by far better at riding bikes, ice skating, skateboarding, climbing, running, jumping, exc than Obsidian. My guess is that he always will.
So patient empathy for Obsidian. Acceptance for Pyrope. And it is my hope that I can teach these lesson well.
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