DH is usually pretty casual about the kid's abilities and most of the time thinks I'm obsessing too much about, well, everything education related. I've often complained about how they are STILL doing "topic x" in math class and it has been 5 weeks, etc.

DH was in charge of last night's Beaver meeting and did paper airplanes. He had paper with 5 fold lines clearly numbered. He had 1 adult per group of 5 kids (most of which are in grade 2 like DS, DD5 is the only girl and one of the youngest).

His response to my "how'd it go?" -
"I started off and showed them to find the number 1 and fold on the line like this (and showed them). They all stared at me like I was speaking martian. Then they proceeded to crumple them up, fold them in every way but on the #1 line or just threw their hands up and said "I can't - you do it" and ran around in circles. It was crazy. I then tried and tried to walk them through it but eventually I folded all of their paper airplanes and we moved on to the decorating and throwing contests. It didn't even occur to me that this might be hard, seriously?? DS has been building fleets for years (often with his school worksheets...). Well that was an eyeopener, I guess that is why they have to do time for 5 weeks in math class."

TBH, I was a little surprised as well, I mean boys and paper airplanes, how can you go wrong? They were pretty basic ones (as compared to some of the crazier origami ones that DS usually builds). Last year I cleared out 97 planes of many different designs from under his bed and there were still enough left that he didn't notice. I realize not everyone shares his obsession but not being able to do one plane?

Chay, PM'd you.

Last night DS4.4 said "None of my friends understand what I talk about". Thinking maybe he meant his speech isn't clear enough I asked what he meant. His response "Today I told my friend that if I am running and he runs past me, it would look like I am going backwards. He didn't understand..."

My son is thoughtful in an unusual way sometimes. Tonight at dinner he shared that one thing he likes to do at school is draw a nice picture and then find the trash can with the most trash and put it on top of the pile very carefully. His reasoning is that the janitor comes at night and does so much work keeping his school looking nice that he wanted her to have a nice picture to look at when she takes out the trash. He said he wasn't sure if she really looks at the contents or not but if she did, he wanted her to see something nice.

I really like both your anecdotes, 1111 and KJP. They show a level of thoughtfulness that is unexpected and totally charming.

KJP--maybe your son could create a class initiative to have everyone make a caregiver appreciation picture?

KJP -that story really made me smile. What a special, sweet boy you have!

KJP, that is just too precious. It's something I wish we could teach DD - to be genuinely caring of others without expecting anything in return.

One of these days, I'm going to write down all the funny things DS, now 8, has said... but here's a recent one. We went hiking with my parents at a local nature preserve, and before we left, I needed to use the restroom. I spent a good two minutes trying to convince DS that he should come along to at least "check."

Well, in the car later, DS says, with all seriousness:

"Mom, you used the bathroom 2X, Grandma used it once, Grandpa not at all, and ME, I had to use it once," [a slight pause here as if for a drumroll], "against my WILL!"

My parents and I laughed until we cried.

My DD10 and her friend came up with this song to the tune of "Let it go" I put it on this thread because although only gifted kids would come up with these lyrics, their giftedness is clearly not in the realm of song writing:

Let it burn, let it burn
We'll be more destructive then Vesuvius
Let it burn, let it burn
The objective form of "we" is "us".

Love those!