Same thing we do every night, Pinky
Have you ever watched the cartoon, Pinky and the Brain? It's about two lab rats, who, every night, try to take over the world. I find it highly amusing. I feel a little bit as though we are living in a Pinky and the Brain cartoon right now. This is not because we are trying to take over the world every day, but because of the conversation I have with multiple children every single night. A conversation which is very like the conversation between Pinky and the Brain in every show.
I go into say good night to everyone. Each child, as I tuck them in, asks, "What are we going to do tomorrow?" I find myself answering, "The same thing we do every day, child, do some math and find things to fill the time."
Sometimes I wonder if my children have noticed that they have not left the house for over fourteen days. They also know we are not leaving the house (property, actually) in the near future. They know we do school every morning. They know they play all afternoon. Yet, being the eternal optimists that they are, every night there is the question with the implied hope that there is some bigger plan.
As I've mentioned before, I don't have a lot of idle time as my life is quite full even without leaving my house. To keep this ship upright and moving involves a lot of different pieces, all of which take time. For the first time in a long time I'm finishing what needs to be done each day rather than constantly playing catch-up. I do wonder where everyone else seems to be finding the time to refinish furniture, paint entire rooms, or make massive quilts. Just when I get to a point in the day where I think I might be able to do something optional, I realize that we are just minutes away from teatime and there is no point in starting anything. All this to say, I'm not entertaining my children during the afternoons.
Don't worry about them, though. They are managing just fine. Today G., L., K., and Y. headed out to the forest preserve with one of their tablets with the intent of making a movie. Which they did, though the sound editing is still a work in progress. H. worked on the 2000 piece puzzle that she has been involved with for several days, and R. flew her plastic airplane around the house and swept.
So maybe I should reframe the question for them when I say good night. Perhaps it would be better to lob the ball back into their court and ask what they plan to do tomorrow, because I know they have plans. They always do. And who knows, maybe they really are planning to take over the world.
I go into say good night to everyone. Each child, as I tuck them in, asks, "What are we going to do tomorrow?" I find myself answering, "The same thing we do every day, child, do some math and find things to fill the time."
Sometimes I wonder if my children have noticed that they have not left the house for over fourteen days. They also know we are not leaving the house (property, actually) in the near future. They know we do school every morning. They know they play all afternoon. Yet, being the eternal optimists that they are, every night there is the question with the implied hope that there is some bigger plan.
As I've mentioned before, I don't have a lot of idle time as my life is quite full even without leaving my house. To keep this ship upright and moving involves a lot of different pieces, all of which take time. For the first time in a long time I'm finishing what needs to be done each day rather than constantly playing catch-up. I do wonder where everyone else seems to be finding the time to refinish furniture, paint entire rooms, or make massive quilts. Just when I get to a point in the day where I think I might be able to do something optional, I realize that we are just minutes away from teatime and there is no point in starting anything. All this to say, I'm not entertaining my children during the afternoons.
Don't worry about them, though. They are managing just fine. Today G., L., K., and Y. headed out to the forest preserve with one of their tablets with the intent of making a movie. Which they did, though the sound editing is still a work in progress. H. worked on the 2000 piece puzzle that she has been involved with for several days, and R. flew her plastic airplane around the house and swept.
So maybe I should reframe the question for them when I say good night. Perhaps it would be better to lob the ball back into their court and ask what they plan to do tomorrow, because I know they have plans. They always do. And who knows, maybe they really are planning to take over the world.
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