The good stuff...

...I always tell my kids that the good stuff goes in the middle and I equate it to a Heads or Tails Double Stuffed Oreo Cookie.  Where the top and bottom are similar, but not the same and important and necessary, but generally what you rush through to get to the "good stuff."

I'm hoping this lesson is sinking in -- but honestly, I'm just not sure sometimes...they can recite it -- but do they know what I mean.  ANYHOW, this wasn't intended to be a deep introspective review of my teaching skill or habits...

I have been blessed with three amazing children.  Cassidy is the quintessential over-achieving oldest child.  She tries to mother her siblings, raise the bar ridiculously high and achieves at much of everything that she tries to accomplish.  She excels in academics, she's beautiful, she is nice to everyone that she meets (except her little sister and her mother at times), she is artistic and musical, she can play piano by ear and blows my mind away with her ability with the violin, she sets trends that people follow, she seems to do anything and everything that she puts her mind to.  She generally impresses people with her abilities in just about everything but has taken to melodramatics recently as she's entering her teens.

Then there is Lizzie...the quintessential under-achieving youngest child.  She resists being controlled, she refuses to do the work unless there is a dire consequence or worthwhile reward.  She knows how to dress, she knows how to flaunt her attitude, style and smarts.  She does the bare minimum that she needs to do because she can and STILL excel beyond many of her peers because she's just that good.  She charms people with her presence, she is adored by strangers and has a solid following in 4th grade of fans.  She could out-class Cassidy in achievements...if she wanted to...but she doesn't want to...because she doesn't care, it's not important to her.  She can pick up skills and teacher her classmates, brother and sister if she wanted...goodness knows she teaches me.  She delights people, but has a temper the size of Texas.

Then...there's the good stuff...right there in the middle.  We've got Austin.  He's really a great kid.  He's smart, but not as "smart" as his sisters according to the GSP testing. He's not musically talented, he's not going to win an academy award, he probably won't be the star player on any team as far as skill goes.  He's little, he's fast, he's such a loving child.  He doesn't have any qualities about him that people latch onto...he's handsome, but he doesn't flaunt it.  He's smart...but he doesn't exclaim it.  He's diligent, he's got immense concentration, he can pick up and master a new skill almost instantly,  he doesn't generally complain...about anything...he is such a joy to be a mom to...to be a teacher to...to be a friend to.  He doesn't get the credit he deserves...most of the time. He's sensitive and sweet and I know he doesn't get the spotlight near enough -- he's always been overshadowed by Cassidy's achievements at his old school ("That's Cassidy's little brother.") ...and now it seems that he's being overshadowed by Lizzie at his new school. ("What's it like to be Lizzie's brother?")  He is who he is because of his family and everything that has been part of his life to now... so Austin wouldn't be Austin without Cassidy and Lizzie (or on a slightly larger scale Daddy and Mommy for that matter).

He really is some good stuff though...really, really good stuff.