and now about the Maitri

So I am sure that this next entry will lend itself nicely to deconstruction.  Especially when juxtaposed with the entry about Max.  Maitri does everything we do.  She glued, melted wax crayons, drew with crayons and marker and added leaves to her picture.  She made these 2 pictures over a 90 min period.  She sat in quiet contemplation drawing circles and babybel cheeses (her words).  After she was done the first, she asked to have it taped to the wall.  Then she asked to do another one on the wall.  So I taped another paper to the back door.    Long lines.  Michael was a real queen and freaked about her drawing on the door.  Geez, stop being a queen.  So I said it was just momentum, not being “naughty” and said I would clean the old door later.  We need to paint that 100 year-old door later anyway.

I was struck by her focus.  I was struck by my “non-participation”.  I did not hand her things, make suggestions or whatever?  I just put up paper, wiped the door down and cleaned her face (she always draws on herself during this process).  Is that a mechanism of sibling order? my assumptions about her age?  expectations about gender? Maitri’s personality which does not accept input or feedback?  all of it?