It’s parent-teacher conference time. And for the first time, I had two in one day. And wow! They were so different from each other! It has really made me reflect on how unique my two boys are.

It’s funny isn’t it? You have your first kid. You think you have the parenting thing figured out. Then the next one comes along.

For me, there were five years in between.

They are both stinkers–that’s for sure! But …

One is very cerebral, and the other is very physical.

One is a total foodie and the other will only eat about 5 things without bursting into tears.

One always speaks his mind (to a fault), and the other is like a lock-box. We have to pry him open for answers.

One is content to entertain himself for hours, and the other is extremely high maintenance.

One loooooves to be outside. He would dig in the dirt all day if we let him. The other, not so much. He’d rather be on the computer.

One loves to please, and the other loves to push limits. But this comes in phases, and suddenly they will switch roles on us. (Does anyone else experience this?)

One is super sneaky and the other one is so LOUD!

One has a hair trigger, and the other bottles everything up until he explodes.

You get the idea. And if you have more than one kid, you know:

Same family. Same parents. Same rules. Same environment. Totally different kids. Sometimes it cracks me up–in more ways than one. Ha.

So … regarding teacher conferences:

One of my children has ADHD. He is also gifted. Grandma calls this “twice-gifted,” and we often talk about how his ADHD gives him super powers. He just needs to know how to use them. We’ve been working hard for years now, learning coping mechanisms, teaching him how to focus, etc., and he has got this classroom thing figured out. His teacher rocks, and the conference was phenomenal.

However, the other one is struggling a bit. The transition into school has been hard for him. (I’m sure my recent hospital stay and pneumonia haven’t helped either.) He’s a smarty too, though. His grades are good. He’s achieving. He’s just not happy. He comes home from school crying and exhausted. He has trouble concentrating on his work. He’s easily distracted and very energetic and–well–doesn’t quite have the classroom thing figured out yet. So although his teacher conference went okay, it was a little more stressful.

I’m fully aware it’s only been 9 weeks, though. And at least I know the ropes, right? This ain’t my first rodeo. I know I just need to give my little dude some time.

It was just an interesting experience for me: conference day. The contrast between the two teachers, the two meetings, and my two little turkeys was so magnified.

It made me reflect on all the reasons I love my boys so much–and so differently. And that’s okay.

I love them both. I love their quirks. I love their crazy personalities.

I marvel at the way their minds work–often so differently from mine and so differently from each other’s.

I’m learning to relish and embrace the differences.