take care of David

Yes, Rose won't let her little brother play with her toys and shuts him out of her room and complains loudly when he gets to pick a book to read first, but really she is an A-1 helper to him. This morning she was helping him get the new Batman stickers off his sheet. She buckles him in the car, but she really shines when we are gone. Every babysitter has said, "David was having trouble going to bed and Rose was just super with him." She reads him stories, snuggles with him, and helps anchor him when's he's having a tough time.

remember what she learns

A friend told me "Don't be surprised if the kids can't tell you a thing they did in school." Not that what they did was unmemorable, but that kids just move on. Rose remembers. She regales us at the dinner table about the plight of South American penguins, how tornados move across the land, and how stars are born. As a teacher, I know that reprocessing the info by sharing it is an excellent way to cement it. But I already knew her memory was incredible.


apply what she learns

Rose and I were reading one of her new Christmas books, a biography of William Carlos Williams. When we were done she said, "That had an opening and closing." It took me a moment to catch up with her. In her Writing Workshop, they had learned the importance of tying the intro and conclusion together. This book started with young William lying next to the river and ended with him using the rhythms of the river to influence his poetry. She also likes to remind me to balance eating with exercise, thank you health and fitness teacher.

put on shows

When the kids were three, my mom wanted them to put on a show for her, and they didn't really get it. Not a problem any more. Rose will put on a show at the drop of a hat. It usually involves dance moves, narration, and elaborate costumes.