I've spoken with several people about the boys' "quiet times" in an effort to explain to those who notice that they seem to learn in sporadic rates. They will absorb everything, reading, math, English, social interactions. While they may not master it at least they are invested and excited to try new things.
We are learning through repeated phases that when they have absorbed as much as their brains and emotions will allow they become quiet. Their speech will regress several months and they are very quiet at home. It usually lasts a week or a little more and then they climb back on the cross country track to learning.
For me, one of the hardest things to explain and have people understand, is that on the outside surface the boys can appear very much as the average 9 and 10 year old American boys. This is happening more and more especially as their English expands and their accents are decreasing. The surface of their growth is very deceiving to what lies beneath and the struggles they may be having.
The best example is to imagine a dam with water behind it. At certain times of the year the water level and pressure is fairly consistent and manageable. As spring melt and heavy rain occurs those water levels and pressure build. The dam can withstand the additional load but at a certain point that pressure must be relieved or the damage to the dam's structure is compromised.
Lucas and Eli are very much like a dam with the pressure of learning and knowledge building up and then the flood gates have to release that pressure, then their brains go under maintenance/repair and then their brains are ready for new information to build.
Their flood stages are occurring less frequently and maintenance/repair are becoming quicker but those flood gates do get a work out.
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