maddie took me for a drive this evening. she told me about school. i told her about my day. and we discussed why it is so. darn. hard. to think of a come-back when someone has put you down. ugh. (we didn’t solve this dilemma.) we also listened to one of maddie's playlists (one she deemed "mom-friendly" - ha! - . . . because sometimes we like different kinds of music). the setting sun saturated the horizon with brilliant red and orange, and we watched for deer and pronghorns and cattle (partly because these animals are amazing, and partly because we really didn't want to hit one with the truck). maddie drove us back into the driveway as the last of the sunset was fading. all those parenting cliches about your kid talking to you in the car - true. they are true.
isaac asked for my help with his homework tonight. in the last two days we have covered fidel castro (and why people might think communism is good, but why it is the opposite of being free), how photosynthesis and cellular respiration are connected, what a single-market economy is, phototropism, and now in math, "what is 3.25% as a decimal?" he asks me. zero point zero, three, two, five, i say. "how do you do that again?" zero point zero, three, two, five. "you're smart." thanks. and pretty soon he is getting them on his own and telling me, "this makes sense!" also, a homework session with isaac is scientific proof that lack of food and doing tough mental work result in a hangry situation. feeding the boy some good, nutritious food turns that all right around and things get done with ease and almost good cheer!
moral of the story tonight? when parenting teenagers, drive and eat.
go gently, love fiercely, and be wonderful. love, e