Story Time: Day 2

I called my mother tonight.  If you shush all around you, and listen very carefully, preening your ears towards the greater Southern California metropolitan area, you can probably still hear her laughing.  Laughing, and laughing, and laughing.  She conveyed to me that she had lost all hope of me ever realizing the reality of it all, since we had no children.  Again people, that realization has a little something to do with it.

In all, another good day.  And more importantly, a good routine day.  Tom had them out of the house right on schedule.  I had fetched them on time as well.  It all seemed perfect...almost too perfect.

The only ordeal of the day was Cal (7) and his homework.  Hannah had warned me to make sure he gets it done before I pick him up.  He knew that was the way it was supposed to go, but apparently I picked him up just a little too soon as it was not yet completed when I picked him up.

Upon our return home he was sentenced to the kitchen counter until he got it done.  Now I can't honestly say that he tried every trick in the book to get out of it, but he certainly worked the first half of said book, at least.

My favorite was his writing assignment.  He had to write a story about the scarecrow in their classroom.  He had it about half way done, and decided that he had probably done enough, and would take his chances and hand it in as is.  Problem: I've met his second grade teacher.  She knows that I, too, am a second grade teacher.  I will not be judged by one of my peers because Callahan Michael Kincade thinks that what he has done is enough.  And he didn't actually think it was enough.   What I got from him when I asked if the one side of the paper was what was expected of him, what I got was a shrug.  So we talked about ideas he could write about, and he went back and started writing in  a  v e r y   e l o n g a t e d   s t y l e   w i t h   m u c h   l a r g e r   l e t t e r s   t h a t    s e e m e d   t o   t a k e   u p   a   l o t   m o r e   s p a c e.  What?  Is he kidding?  Didn't he do his research?  Just who does he think invented that technique?!  ME!!!!  Thank you very much.  So back he went to do some fine tuning, all the while working towards the ultimate reward...the Holy Grail...that's right...ten minutes of Scooby Doo before bed. 

Oh, but then, just as he was getting ready for his shower (the final step before Scooby-time) he announced that he also had to do his nightly reading.  Two stories, with discussion.  Not only was I peeved, but brother Nolan had had just about enough of this Scooby-tease act that had been getting pulled on him all night.

So after showers, and before Scooby, we sat, the three of us, together on the couch.  Me in the middle holding the book, Cal on my left reading aloud, Nolan on my right, transfixed by his brother's story telling.  We discussed the important literary elements (Cal has to take a test on these stories tomorrow) and Nolan identified the different animals from My School Is a Zoo.  We laughed at the funny pictures, talked about the importance of being a good coyote friend, and practiced our howling at the moon.  That was a moment.  After all of this is done, after all of the Cheez-Its and Teddy Grahams have been chucked or consumed, that will be one of the things that stays with me.  That will be one of the things that give me pause.....what if....

Comments

[Hannah]

This sounds absolutely perfect. We could not have scripted this any better. Welcome to the nightly routine!:)

[Penny Tafoya]

Did u remember to have them brush their teeth tonight?

[J.D. Watson]

D'oh! They're definitely doing it in the morning!!

[Cassandra]

JD what a blast you are going to have. Just be warned that laughter comes in many forms. Tears may be your most popular form of expressing laughter and that is OK.