Mini-Brain

Clown is so funny. Thus the name Clown. I must take time soon to list some quotes from him here on the blog, but right now he is waiting to play on-line checkers. I asked him to fold his clean laundry while he waits for me to get off of here.


I have index cards that I try to write down cute or interesting things the kids say. I want to collect them all in a book or something and be able to show their kids and grandkids. I love to read through them, too! I only end up recording about 40% of the awesome things they say, but it is better than nothing. Now I have this way to keep track of them and record them for the years to come.

Just felt the need to say what Clown said yesterday as we were doing a study of colonial Times. We were reading through some books from the Library when he asked, "Today is April 10th, right???" I said yes and he grinned and chirped excitedly "Only 3 more days until Thomas Jefferson's birthday! He was born on April 13th!" His older brothers looked amazed and asked how he knew that. He explained how he had read it in one of the library books a few days ago.


He knows all kinds of trivia. He is like Brain in the way that they both somehow taught themselves to read at the age of four. The difference is that Brain took off with it, has never stopped (you may have noted in the picture from the beach that he was holding a book. He sleeps with them and would shower with them if we let him) and read at a college level by age 7. Clown CAN do it, but goes months sometimes not reading anything. Then takes a few weeks where he devours anything in sight, then months with not reading at all again.

He can read words like "Siphon", "Tentacle", "Camouflage", "Invertebrates", and "Predators". Which I think is impressive for a 6 year old. Then I remember back to Brain at his age, reading entire 500 page novels!!

Anyway, we thought that was cute, that he was so excited about Thomas Jefferson's birthday. He has been aware of what the date is since he was about 4. We have a HUGE cloth calendar that we hang on the wall that has velcro dates etc. He can be counted on to change the date every morning, it is one of the first things he does.

Jock, who is 4 years older, often asks Clown what the day is. He seeks Clown out for lots of information, which cause Clown to put his shoulders back and stand a little taller. It is nice to see.

One more example and then Clown gets the computer -


Clown got a set for Christmas that has big glow-in-the-dark Planets to hang from his ceiling. Last night as I was tucking he and Jock in, he was commenting on how neat Jupiter looked. Jock has no idea about that stuff and was asking Clown which one it is. Clown started spouting off information about it and how far it is from whatever ones are near it (he mentioned those at the time, but I am like Jock and don't retain things like that) and what it looks like, etc. Jock just laid and listened to his little 6 year old brother explaining these things to him:) Very cute!

Now Clown is reading to me from a library book about the Octopus...