It was pretty cool to hold a human brain today.  My dad taught at a medical school all of his working life.  His subjects were gross anatomy and neuro anatomy, but never once did any of us kids go in with him on a working day, so I had never seen a brain before.  When my sister was in college, he arranged a summer job for her where she helped write brochures encouraging people to plan to donate their bodies to the medical program after they died.  He also used to come home on dissection days and head straight to the shower to wash away the formaldehyde smell....  so today reminded me a bit of his teaching days...

Talked tonight a bit  with my husband about how to praise the learning vs the accomplishment - something we struggle with as parents. I think it is tricky to do well -- when praise is very specific, e.g. "What a graceful tail you've put in your letter 'a'", I think   the praise-receiver can hear "the rest looks lousy."  Something I'll keep thinking about...