Nine has brought depth and maturity and so much growth. His Atrium classes have expanded into extra First Communion classes and I’m surprised that he never complains about them, or resents doing the (writing intensive) homework. It’s neat seeing the depth of his understanding as he prepares for his First Reconciliation. He often locks himself into his room to build massive Lego creations, using a wide variety of resource materials to make it as realistic as possible. I’m surprised sometimes how little he cares about the creations afterwards: the joy comes from the building. We still struggle through school sometimes – especially when his anxiety gets the better of him. The difference this year, however, is that I can tell he’s trying more and we’re both attempting to get through work with a whole lot more patience and less frustration. He picks up on when I need extra help or am really tired and tries his best to herd his siblings into doing what needs to be done. He insists he despises math, but then sometimes bursts out with a delighted “this is so fun!” when something clicks and he realizes the ways that long division or Roman numerals are like puzzles or a game. He’s entering that stage of trying to get away with wearing the exact same outfit day after day – usually the baggiest shirt in his drawer combined with the most ridiculous pants. The newest fascination is all things Greek as we finish up the first Percy Jackson book and he has taken it upon himself to relisten to last year’s history curriculum that includes details about Greek and Roman life. Cephalopods still rein supreme, but slowly a wider variety of interests have accumulated.
