Day Three: Apparently, Mom Should Leave More Often
This morning started off with me already in a panic. Before I even left for the vet clinic to do ultrasounds, I noticed our website was down. Great, I thought, today’s a wash. And then to make things even better, my sister Allie (who was helping check in on the girls) kept texting me with, “Sorry, I think I made homeschool more complicated…” Not exactly the confidence boost a mom on the road wants to hear. I was already bracing for a late-night marathon session of schoolwork.
But you know what? When I got home, I walked in to find Paisley still in her pajamas—and absolutely thrilled with how much she’d gotten done. Same with Jayme! Maybe the secret to homeschool success is Mom disappearing for the day? (Don’t tempt me, kids.) Of course, I went back through their work and found a few corrections to make, so at least I still felt useful.
In the middle of it all, we broke up the day with something special: a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new CRRC, where the Boys and Girls Club will now be hosted. The girls not only got to attend but somehow ended up right in the front of the photo. I’m not sure if it was strategy or pure luck, but it definitely made for a fun memory.
Back at home, Jayme and I ended the day with a quiz—and she decided to switch roles. She played the teacher, reading the questions and then, with all the authority of a drill sergeant, reading the answers straight off my laptop answer key. The way she bossed me around made me giggle. Honestly, she might be a little too comfortable with that much power.
Meanwhile, Paisley wasn’t ready for the school day to end at all. During playtime, she insisted on “playing teacher” too. That meant I had to sit there as the student while she quizzed me like I was back in third grade. Watching her get such joy out of bossing me around as “the teacher” was hilarious—and also just plain sweet.
So yes, Day Three started with stress and ended with giggles. Maybe the best lesson here is that sometimes stepping back gives kids the space to shine. Or maybe it’s that my girls secretly love being in charge. Either way, I’ll take it.