Just when you feel like parenting is too much work, they amaze you with their insight

Kindergarten is still going really well for Harrison. I haven’t had any reports of poor behavior from his teacher – that’s usually my guide. He attends the same preschool as Ella in the afternoon and I thought that was going well also. Again, using a lack of negative reports by his teachers as my reference.

Long story, really short, things aren’t going that great at preschool after all. We are on the verge of switching schools again. Bottom line: Harrison is bored and misbehaving in the afternoons and Ella isn’t getting much, if any, structured programming anymore. I think we have narrowed alternative schools down to one choice and will switch in March after giving 30 days notice. Another change for the kids and another stressor I could do without.

Tonight, however, just when I thought the kids couldn’t misbehave any worse, the seas parted and angels began to sing…Harrison and I had a really great quiet time reading before bedtime. I’ve been gone so much with work, and other distractions, lately that being alone with Harry was quite a treat. He read to me from one of his school reading books. Instead of getting frustrated and impatient, he read the whole thing without complaint. “See? I read the whoooole thing!” Then we started reading a great Dr. Seuss book and it provoked a lot of questioning from him. It was really great. All of a sudden, during this book, he asked me how old Oma (my mom) was when she died. I told him that she was 78. Nights are my hardest time, grief-wise, as I tend to have more time to reflect. Just as I worried that I might get really sad with him, he surprised me and made me smile. “Seventy-eight. That’s a really big number,” he said. He then proceeded to count it out for me. “One, two, three, four…..seventy-six, seventy-seven, seventy-eight.” In some weird way it was an extremely comforting moment. As I listened to him diligently count out each individual number, I realized how many years of life she was given. Is it possible that he knew I needed that reminder?