August 15, 2006 - Tuesday
The boys discovered paper airplanes a couple of weeks ago and mommy bought them a paper airplane kite included special paper and a book with intricate designs that require cutting, folding, and gluing. The boys and I were sitting in the dining room this morning working on a fancy paper airplane for Jeremy and it was taking a little while, long enough to get close to the time to bring them to summer camp. I asked Harry, who was closer to the kitchen and a view of the kitchen clock, to see what time it was. "8:12," was his answer.

It's true that I've talked to Harry about telling time and he's had a large dial clock in his room for more than a couple of years; however, we haven't really talked about telling time for a while.

"8:12? hmmmm..." I said, skeptical that his tertiary look at the clock could have produced such an extra time. Harry ought to know the basics of telling time, but if he were to be able to recognize 8:12 on a dial clock, I'm sure it would have taken more looking and figuring. "Harry, maybe you should look again.
Harry went over to the doorway again. "I don't know."
"Come on, Harry, sure you know. Slow down and think about it for a minute." Harry likes to be done with things before he starts.

Meanwhile, Jeremy had gotten up from his chair and went to look at the clock. "It's 8 o'clock," he volunteered. He was proud of himself, but not too proud. Jeremy's more comfortable with himself and doesn't thrive on self-congratulations. The funny thing is, I haven't talked with Jeremy very much about telling time. He's either picked it up at school, or Mary's, or many just by being a little brother.
"That's great Jeremy," I said.

I talked to Harry a little bit about it while he was brushing his teeth; about slowing down and thinking for a minute and not just trying to do things quickly, or prove to everyone that he knows everything. But it's a continuing lesson for Harry. It's certainly a lesson that is taking me many years to learn.


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