the tao trio
P showed me her Pokémon card collection last night. This isn’t a terribly uncommon occurrence, but yesterday’s timing and just the overall feel of the event was significant. It took place in the evening, during her normally-allotted play-with-Daddy time, of which she hasn’t availed herself in quite a while. Given that our relationship has somewhat normalized after a challenging beginning to the year, I’m tempted to chalk up her lack of desire to simply growing out of that phase, the same way L has, but I need more time and evidence to really settle on that explanation. But last night’s show-and-tell session felt for all the world like a substitute event. She’s rightly proud of her collection and encyclopedic knowledge of the franchise, and isn’t the slightest bit reluctant to display either, so it’s not like I had to twist her arm to get her to walk me through her binder. I’d seen most of the cards before, but she compulsively reorganizes it, so the sequence was different than last time, and she wanted to showcase her latest acquisitions, so I gave her free rein, and tried to ask intelligent questions and make thoughtful remarks about esoteric details like printing errors and special editions. She left in a glow, I think, and I felt good as well.
Speaking of Pokémon cards, we made a field trip today to the post office to pick up a card she ordered from Japan, and drove her car, which I’ve only recently reassembled and I’m pleased to report runs spectacularly well. I suggested she drive, but she politely declined, which is fine. She’s anxious about it, especially the idea of having a panic attack while driving, so I’m giving her as much space as she needs. I do hope once the dust settles and she gets acclimated to the college routine, she’ll venture out on her own. I’m going to try to set that expectation as gently as I can. She’s a natural when it comes to the mechanics of driving, and the actual rules of the road, but her decision-making still needs some spit and polish.
For his part, L has been practicing a lot, and is making good progress, though definitely at a slower clip than his sister. He’s always been the kind to not want to try something unless he has it completely figured out, and driving is a learn-as-you-do type activity, so it’s been more difficult for him than P for that reason, among others. Still, as I’ve reminded him on numerous occasions, if little old grandmothers can drive, so can you; it’s just a basic adult skill. He’ll get there. His driving test is scheduled for early next month, so he has a few weeks for some additional practice, but it’s not like the test here is anything more than a leisurely drive around the block. If I can end the year with two kids driving themselves in their own vehicles, I’ll be a happy, satisfied man—if completely broke from insurance premiums.