Who we are - adding nuance
This post adds some additional content and nuance to the back story on our family (focusing on the kids) and on our trip. A month ago, when I wrote the first “who we are” posts, I didn’t know my children as well as I do now.
Tallulah has more personality than I was giving her credit for in my “imagine perfection in a small human package” description. First, she is not only opinionated, but also very strong-willed. Over the last several weeks, she has become more demanding, and more implacable when she does not get her way. She taunts her brother from time to time, and has become aware that he gets blamed for >80% of any conflict. Generally they do get along, fortunately.
I really do like the fact that when Tallulah wants a material object she says, “Will Santa bring me …?” instead of “Get it for me!” I also like that her determination spills over into learning and doing things on her own. She will definitely become more of a handful as we go along.
India and I love him unconditionally, but Zola definitely confuses us. Through our “roadschooling” time (see the picture from Tarifa), I have developed a better understanding of the frustrations that his teachers felt at the Willow School.
Zola is smart, but he rushes, gets frustrated, gets distracted, doesn’t listen. He really likes when I create games like “beat the clock” for flash cards, or I pretend that a giant crowd is roaring and clapping when he spells a word correctly. Aside from reading, though, it isn’t clear what he would pursue intellectually on his own.
We are really working on having him listen more and show respect for authority. He isn’t as bad as Walker and T.R. in “Talladega Nights” (in part because he bears no malice), but one of our real goals is to help him make the transformation to much better behavior. I don’t think I would have been a very good elementary-school teacher.
Overall, we are blessed with two happy, healthy, adventurous kids. Already we are growing together as a family, and experiencing things that would have been impossible without this time travelling. Both kids are trying to speak Spanish, are eating new foods and are talking about cathedrals and Moors and siestas and funiculars. That is a start.