The Harrowing/Heartwarming Parent Moment of the Week

Wow, I don’t have much this week. Didn’t write things down. Although…

I do know that all three boys lost their movie pick in one fell swoop when I was gone and The Hunky Hubby was watching them. Something involving the bathroom, a snack, water, and possibly some candles.

Then I attempted to help Sweet Boy#1 with his homework, he brushed my assistance aside: “Your not as good at math as me Momma.” Why why why was I honest with him when I was teaching him his numbers? I pressed on, insisting that just because I wasn’t a natural didn’t mean that I couldn’t help…and then I totally couldn’t help him and had to call his dad in to help, totally reinforcing the “dumb as a toad in the road” view of Mom.

I made cookies for Sweet Boy#1 to share with his class. “Party Cookies” a recipe that I got out of one of those murder mysteries. Did you know that homemade cookies have become a valuable commodity to children nowadays. When I was a kid I envied the children with pre-packaged “lunchable” meals and fancy store-bought cookies. Now both times that I’ve brought cookies to my son’s class some child has tasted them, stared in amazement, and asked: “Are these homemade?” But in a happy complimentary kind of voice. It is a good time to be a mom for someone who likes to bake. Amazingly between business and the ease of picking up a package of cookies at the store, children are looking at my lumpy but buttery confections with wonder and sparkly eyes!

But the winner this week…
Home education is such a difficult beast to decipher. I have been working on teaching my youngest his letters for over two years now. It is rough going. My oldest just seemed to absorb anything we threw at him and letters are just beginning to click for my youngest. But this week we received a shock. I’ve been working on teaching my middle boy how to tell time, and he’s doing great. I didn’t even attempt to teach my youngest. I mean who would expect a 3 1/2 year old to tell time? But this week my Hubby absently asked what time it was and Sweet Boy#3 looked up at the clock and said: “It’s 9 o clock.”…and it was. Later when the hands were on the hour I asked again. “It’s 11 o clock.” and it was. Apparently my youngest can tell time on the hour…all except 12 o clock which he insists is 20 o clock. Who would have known that he had absorbed all of that instead of his letters. Truly the human mind is a beautiful and complicated thing.