Parenthood: Week 484 - Brains At Work

We have a routine where Ollie has to get "chores" done, and then he can have some times to play video games. For his chores, he has to do some reading and math work, clean up his play space, and practice the violin. It's wonderful to see how Ollie self-initiates this work. In the past, he needed me to tell him to get to work and remind him that he had to earn time to play video games. Now Ollie is coming up to me and asking if he can get to work. This is a great sign that he is managing his time better and thinking ahead throughout the day. 

The other thing that is really exciting about this is that Ollie sometimes wants to do more math work or read a book after his chores and after he's done playing video games. Ollie likes how the work engages his brain, and I love seeing him seek this out. Sometimes it's in his cubing hobby, and other times it's in workbooks. I'm so proud to see him find ways to engage his brain and explore.  

Ethan has been really into the challenge of making Lego sets. He still makes mistakes trying to interpret the drawings into three-dimensional shapes. Ethan periodically flips pieces around or misses parts that he didn't notice, but he's getting better at it. He is motivated by the fact that making Legos is like making an action figure for him, but I also think he really enjoys the process of making Legos and how rewarding the challenge is for him.  

Ethan is very much trying to figure out interpersonal relationships. He often comments on how he is treated the same or different than his brothers. He is very keen on his observations and wants to understand why things are the way they are. Sometimes I don't have time to explain the reasons, or the reasons are beyond his understanding, but I appreciate that he's trying to figure things out.  

This thinking manifests itself in Ethan being unreasonable and stubborn. While I find this aggravating and annoying at times, I feel it's a sign of thinking, making conclusions, and trying to fight for the way that something should be. This is an important thing that he develops and will be an asset as he ages. As his intellect grows, this, combined with his passion, will lead him to fight for what is right and not give up.  

I'm not sure what Lucas thinks when he looks at a book by himself, but he does this a lot. It's adorable, and sometimes his little brow furrows as he looks at a picture. It's so cute. For a little more than a year, he's been bringing books up so we would read to him. Instead of just sitting there while we read, he participates more in this activity. He will point to animals and name them, repeat certain words, and react emotionally more to books than he has in the past.  

The other way we see Lucas grow greatly is through his speech. He is working hard to say more sounds, and he sees speech as a gateway into the world. This is partly because we are making him say words when he points to candy that he wants, but I also think he sees the benefits and is just having fun with how words feel to say and sound to himself.  

Then there are the quiet moments on walks when he stops, sits down, carefully touches a blade of grass, and smiles. Watching his brain at work as he explores and interacts with the world is magical.