In our school conferences last month, I happened to say, "Cal's an introvert." His German teacher responded definitively, "Cal is not an introvert." Coming on the heels of his history teacher telling us that he's "irrepressible in class... in a good way!" you'd think we'd start to doubt our assessment.

I don't doubt my assessment. How do I know this? Well, genetics for one thing. He comes by it honestly. And when a kid needs quiet to recharge the way this kid does, well, trust. Can we be irrepressible in class? Sure! Can we chat with a table full of strangers at a wedding? Of course? Can we go out of our way to make people comfortable in public settings? Well, yes. Yes to all of that. Yes to chatting with hairdressers and the lady at the ophthalmologist to hanging out with our friends and to seeking out our people to be with and to making small talk at parties. Of course we can and we even enjoy those things. The only way we can enjoy those things is to recharge in our space. To be with the people who let us be quiet and even not be with them too.

In this family, we all need that time, and this weekend was an introvert's dream. I left the house to go to the grocery store and that was it. It was heaven. Neel and Cal have a new routine where they go to lunch and then go into the lab so they can both get work done, and that was it for them too. Cal spent some time with his friends, but other than that he was tucked in with me, watching some football (but we don't want to talk about it). Neel worked a lot (and he likes going in on the weekends so he can be alone). Even the beagle spent the day under the covers. It was great. And just what we needed to recharge after one busy week and to face the next.

My mom keeps reminding me that I have the book Quiet and I need to read it. I just need to find some time alone to do it.