Materials prepped on his bed, Nathan hunkers down for his hour of quiet time.
“Hey, Mommy, when can we play a game, just you and me?” he asks. I pause, my mind running through all the things we are cramming into the days right now: breakfast, free time, getting dressed and brushing teeth, pre-K work on letters, numbers, patterns and motor skills, carefully crafted activities that allow me time to work, checking in with students, phone calls to parents, a morning walk, lunchtime, story time, naptime for Adam and art time for Nathan and me, rest time for Nathan and work time for me, controlling the afternoon crazies, dinner, family playtime and bed. When indeed? I think to myself. Knowing something has to give, I offer, “What if we did art three days a week and you and me games two days?” His face falls. “But we can’t do that. We have to do art every day. It’s our thing.” And it is. In the five crazy days we’ve been homebound, that hour of art has become our one hour of sanity that seems to carry us through. And while I may have no clue when we'll get our "just mommy and me" game time, I know for certain what we'll be doing daily from 1-2pm.
5 Comments
ADRIENNE GILLESPIE
3/20/2020 07:08:13 pm
I love that you have special art time and that Nathan values it so much.
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Lynn Grainger
3/20/2020 07:10:08 pm
You've captured your son's love so beautifully in this piece. Treasure the time together.
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Elizabeth M Rimkunas
3/20/2020 07:22:14 pm
A routine sounds like a very good thing for all. Your day sounds busy but lovely
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Carrie
3/20/2020 07:42:34 pm
What a wonderful thing to bring you two together. And Nathan is using a vital part of his brain. It's fantastic you two are doing this with each other!
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3/21/2020 04:42:36 pm
It is so challenging to continue being a teacher and be home running everything from art to me time. Your portrayal is lovely. Your writing gives me the sense that, while schedules are full, you always have time to think, talk, and adjust.
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AuthorHeidi. Archives
March 2022
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