The Aha To Fix Old Stuff

Dev and I spend time each and every day talking about what he is studying in school.  Dev retains information better when he discusses it and answers verbal questions, and he enjoys talking about it all.  As an added bonus, I'm able to track his studies without looking over his shoulder each and every moment.

One of Dev's more demanding classes is world history (with a book that cost $130!).  His first set of assignments required three rewrites before they passed muster.  But he finds the topic interesting enough that it's one he's always ready to discuss.  Many times in the past week he has dropped random facts about early civilization into our conversations.  His comedy sketch about leaders trying to coordinate battles in the days before standing armies had me laughing until my stomach hurt.

Day before yesterday, we're driving home from the dojo when he says, "People used to bury their dead relatives under the house."  We talked about it for awhile--the implications, beliefs, and so forth--before my jaw dropped.  So many story pieces slammed into place at once, I couldn't talk for a moment.

That one little piece of the past, offered up by my son, solved every single wandering plot problem in Drunkard.