Chalk & Math

I've been so grateful for the beautiful weather we've enjoyed this spring. We're pretty much stuck at home right now with a baby, so at least the kids have been able to go outside and play! One afternoon they had a great time making self-portraits out of chalk on the driveway:

Chalk Seth

Chalk Catherine

Chalk Aaron (love the flaming red hair)

Chalk Elise

We still had about a month of school left after Elijah was born. We kept it as simple as possible, but still tried to do a little bit of the basics every day. Aaron was very proud (and so was I) when he finished up this math book:

Brains are interesting things. This little guy has a language processing disorder that makes things like figurative language and new vocabulary difficult to pick up. Reading books is often frustrating as he frequently interrupts to ask questions about pictures or about words I've already defined for him 67 times ("Trousers are pants, buddy."). The storyline tends to get buried under a pile of interruptions, making it tedious for both of us. Since language and literature are my loves, I've mourned what I feel like is a huge loss for Aaron.

But math...math is his happy place. He picks up math in the way most people pick up language: almost instinctively. I have to kick him out when Catherine does her math so he won't answer her questions for her. His eyes light up when he solves problems (yesterday it was 28+28, a problem he made up for himself). Despite being in preschool, he insisted on doing a math workbook like everyone else. He just finished the first half of 1st grade math today.

He will probably never understand literature and language the way I do. But he already grasps math concepts I struggled with in middle school. So today I'm grateful for weaknesses and strengths and the beauty of individuality.