Incognito

The boys love to watch videos on the computer while they get ready for school.  Usually, when Jack is in charge, there is something that has to do with trains on, not always.  Anyhow, this morning we were getting the computer ready and somehow we were talking about someone that was in disguise.  Jack says, "He's incognito".  I did a double take.  Where does he pick up these words?  I pretty much in tune with the words they are studying right now in 3rd grade and incognito is not quite on the table yet.  So I asked him how he knew that word.  His reply: "I read it in a book". 

This strikes me as funny.  One of the things that he doesn't test positvily on is his reading comprehension.  This is because he doesn't quite understand what is happening in a book kids and their feelings.  Ask him to report on a train book and prepare yourself to be amazed.  Read it to him once and he picks up details and things that just stick in his mind.  I laugh because here he somewhere read the word incognito and it stuck in his head so when a random discussion of someone in a disguise was mentioned he immediately utters the word.   I'd call that comprehension. 

Tonight Jack was helping me with the dishes.  Well, I was washing the dishes and loading the dishwasher and he was discussing how the bottom wrack in the washer reminds him of trains on tracks.  Then he started talking about something he did as a toddler where he pulled the tray out of the dishwasher and pushed it all over the house.  Random memories.  Nice to be able to remember. 

As we were doing the dishes Jack asks; "What is the lightest thing in the world?"  I replied that I didn't know.  "It's a gas" he said.  I replied helium - no was the answer/  Ahh, hydrogen.  "Yes.  It is dangerous too."  I asked: "Did you read this in a book?"  His repliy; "I just know that it is". 

I have been thinking a lot about Jack this week.  I have been concerned about the fact that he is getting to an age where kids his age are beginning to notice that he is different.  Some of those kids will choose to be mindful of him, to help him where they can.  Some of those kids will take advantage of his challenges for a laugh.  I hope Jack will pay them no attention and that he will continue to be exactly who he is.  The reality is Jack is incognito.  We see who he is on the outside and are not always privvy to the genius that is inside.