While I often day-dreamed about what it would be like to be a “normal” mom who didn’t work at night and could stay home in the evenings and tuck her kids into bed and read them stories and help them with homework, the way it actually happened so that I could do those things is not how I would have wished it. 

I’ve always heard the line, “Be careful what you wish for…” which I’m not certain makes that much sense. Because if you wish for a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day, well then, what’s wrong with that except calories on my hips!?

Chris and I picked this one out together today. 

And, the fact that I was wishing to not work at Starbucks anymore because I wanted every night at home with my family, well, at the time that didn’t seem like a bad wish at all! Good for me, good for my family. All good!

But as fate would have it (not my words, but in fact the neurologist’s), my wish came true in the shape of a tumor in my husband’s brain. Darnit!

Even though my leave is temporary, I am currently getting the chance to see what it is like to be the “normal” mom of my day-dreams. For instance, since evenings have slowly but surely become my gig, that makes me in charge of Logan’s homework time. Something that Chris had laid the ground rules for last fall. And, up until three and half weeks ago evenings were strictly his territory. I was in charge of mornings and school prep and he was in charge of evenings and bedtime prep.

But, you’ll see I’m a girl with several hats these days and at first, that evening hat didn’t fit well at all. It was tight and restrictive and itchy. It wasn’t even my style! I pushed it and pulled it and readjusted it night after night and I think I can finally say that it seems to be fitting better. Sometimes it slides down over my eyes, but I’m mostly able to flop it back up in place.

Evening time, more specifically bath time and brush teeth time is not my favorite. Believe it or not, it never has been. But, what I do like about evenings when I’m wearing the evening hat is helping Logan with his homework.  Every night he is to read for 30 minutes then answer a reading response question written by his teacher that he chooses. 

Chris and I have different ideas of how he ought to do his homework. Both ways I think are fine, but with my way, I get to sit with him at the table and brainstorm his ideas and ways in which he can answer the question. This is my strong suite because it involves writing and I can tell he is a good writer already. Biased? Of Course. But I truly think he is a budding penman and his writing is both fun and witty. 

I may even be a friendly stickler for grammar and a darn good sentence! 

Helping him with his homework is not only enjoyable for me because I’m teaching my boy about writing, BUT, because it is special one-on-one time with him that I don’t get any other time of the week! That’s the truth!

I can’t help but think (OK, maybe hope) that he will remember a thing or two about what I’m showing him. And, here’s a confession for ya, I’ve caught myself on more than one occasion (so just two) giving him the words to write!! I know! Go ahead and cringe because I did! I cringed right at the moment that I realized what I was doing!

So, for all of you teachers out there reading this (you and I both know who you are), I’m sorry, okay? !  I learned the error of my ways and it won’t happen again! Phew! 😉

I sure don’t want to be one of those parents!

Anyway, if we’re counting blessings here in the interim before my husband’s surgery, well, my being able to help Logan with his homework is most certainly one of them. I’m not sure what number blessing we would be on if we were counting, which we’re not, but realizing each blessing and giving thanks for it is what we’re about these days.