My Boy is Wicked Smart

Each of the children have there own talents and it is great to see them step into their own.  

Grant has participated all year in Science Olympiad - a competitive junior science fair - in Wake county.  Every Thursday afternoon Grant has stayed after school with his team to prepare.  Grant can be scant on the details but they would set up small experiments, test theories, and prepare for the big competition.  He joined with a bunch of his buddies, also very smart, so he found a place where he fits in.  

The competition was held up near North Carolina State University at a magnet Middle School.  We were all impressed how the school looked like a junior college inside. There were bold posters and branding supporting science and technology and how kids fit into it. The facility was new and accommodating and didn't feel old and worn like the Middle School in our town. Grant isn't one to be transparent with his feelings but you could see him projecting himself into the school.

We are gently pushing Grant towards a magnet school for science and math. We can see him thriving academically in a place like a magnet school but possibly at the cost of becoming estranged from his posse.  Grant spent many years as "TJ's brother" and went where TJ went. Grant was indistinguishable from the rest of TJ's friends until about two years ago.  About two years ago, TJ started to hit puberty and Grant started to make his own friends in the neighborhood.  These days, the boys will play together in the house at the end of the day but during the day Grant will get on his bike and take off to one of three houses to play.  If we move him to a magnet school it is very likely that those connections will wither and be replaced by new friendships, but friendships that will not likely be in our neighborhood.

In my Freshman year of High School my parents sent me to a private school. They wanted me to achieve more academically at the cost of being an absolute stranger in this new school. I still remember it clearly; I sat in the from office of John S. Burke Catholic High School I wailed and begged for them not to send me there.  I was thirteen years old (maybe twelve) and bawling my eyes out. I lost. However, my parents were right. I did achieve more academically like they wanted. As a bonus I made friends there that I am still friends with today.  Some of the best formative times of my life were in those years. Looking back, I would not trade them.

It was such a pleasure to see Grant in his element. He looked truly happy and engaged. While his water rocket wasn't the best in the competition, he did take First Place and Third Place in two separate events! In the county! For a kid that has spent the last year in the shadow of track star brother I know Grant was really proud of his accomplishment.  And so are we. 

Unplugged

It is that time of the year again.  We have passed through the season of the yellow death - our annual pollen hell - and entered the season of afternoon pop up storms.  For the last few nights the skies become ominous somewhere between 4:00pm and 7:00pm.  An unnatural darkness seems to suck all of the light from outside and inside the house.  The skies turn a shade of deep navy blue with the occasional illumination of lightning. Once the wind pick up and begins to blow leaves and lawn furniture over then it is only a matter of time before the bottom drops out and the rain pours and the lightning and thunder follow. The lightning can truly light up the inside of the house, seeming to reach around corners into dark, windowless rooms.  The thunder sounds as if something incredibly and unnaturally huge fell - with echoes rolling for long moments afterwards. The rain begins with big, fat drops against the windows or on the driveway and give over to a downpour as if the whole cloud above was being emptied.  

The storm the other night hit close by. A huge bolt of lightning was followed by a huge clap of thunder followed by the distinct sound of a transformer shorting out and then the lights flickered and went out.  They came back on for half a moment and then went went out again. Time passed and it became clear that the power was not coming back on soon.  Once the storm passed I went outside and was greeted by quiet.  No AC units running, no cars outside, no manmade noise to be heard.   

I went back inside and went into "dad mode" as the boys call it.  I pulled down the flashlights, lit candles, and made sure everything was prepared in case it would be a long outage. All of that sits in a tote in the closet for just such a moment.  I called Betty to make sure she was okay. Then I went over to check on her smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  By the time I got back the kids were inside with a flashlight and Magic The Gathering cards playing.  They were completely unfazed by the lack of available technology.  Amazingly, they can survive without iPhones or Netflix!   

I was treated to the usual rainbow (double rainbow!) that is always at the end of our street (but never over our house).  In the fading light of the day the sky was an unusual shade of pink and the rainbow looked like it was leaking into the sky.  In the other direction the sky was a deep orange, lit by the setting sun.  

The twilight was rewarding after a hard storm and I quietly regretted the power coming back after an hour and a half.  

Just another day in the life of the Brown Family.