One of the fascinating things about child rearing is the difference in siblings. There are times when it would be ever so handy if they were exact reproductions of each other, it would take the guess work out of the whole thing after the first kid. But those differences break up the monotony of parenting, keep it fresh enough to wake up day after day to do it all again.

It has always been apparent that Loren and Cassidy are completely different creatures. From the get go Loren has always been more relaxed, interested primarily in his own comfort and chattier than almost anything. Cass, on the other hand, is an all together more intense animal. Loren started walking at a casual 15 months, Cassidy hauled herself upright at 9 months and started after her brother just to keep tabs on him. And now that they are older, he is 15 and she is 11, there is even more to notice. Loren's need for comfort hasn't changed, if anything every detail of his life is focused on the need for comfort and things that feel only good. Cass continues to be a beast. She carries her homework in the car, as we drive along she will remove a sheaf of papers from her alphabetized folder and discuss it all in great detail to anybody willing to lend an ear. Loren is never willing to listen, he rolls his eyes while muttering something about nerds and starts texting to his friends. Cass comes home every day laden with bags and books. She spreads them over the table, reads them in the bath, then takes in another round at bedtime. I am fairly sure Loren's school does not issue text books. Occasionally I will see him with a single sheet of notebook paper and a pencil while he peers out the window in a sort of thoughtful pose. Perhaps his school is pursuing an environmentally friendly avenue, eliminating books and cumbersome papers in an effort to save the world. I really don't know. What I do know is that watching Cass' curiosity and her zest for learning is a joy. It warms my heart and gives me hope. Loren's academic pursuits are giving me an ulcer. Maybe in the big picture of things her ambitions will even out his lack of inertia. Or maybe someday soon he will feel the heat of the fire burning under her ass and get up the gumption to light his own match. In the meantime I am just trying to enjoy Cass' energy and try to understand Loren's lack of it.