In spending a lot of time at my kids' schools, there are some kids who have said nothing (or 2 words) to me over the years, after seeing them almost everyday, going on overnight field trips with them, coaching science teams, etc. The other day I saw a HS freshman that I've "known" for 4 years. He said more to me in that one day than in the past 4 yrs. I wonder if it's maturity or just that he was busy taking in the world and now is able to express himself--just so cool to see it happen.