it takes a village

It takes a village. 




A big one apparently.  




 Let me start with this. I homeschooled my kids - all three of them, and I loved it. We all did. I loved going to the library for hours, taking field trips to wherever we wanted to go, being the one who taught them all to read, late bedtimes, traveling when we felt like it, doing history allllllll day, having a mandatory dance break between math and reading. Ask the kids, any one of them, and they'll tell you - homeschooling was good times. 



 But we knew they had to go to public school eventually -  because quite frankly, teaching someone to turn in assignments on time, negotiate with difficult people, step out of her comfort zone, work any sort of locker combination and titrate chemistry equations wasn't gonna happen in my living room. 





It just wasn't. 





I'm sure there are super moms out there who can do all that, but I'm not one of 'em. All 3 of mine can recite the preamble to the constitution, read the headlines on Yahoo and two of them can tie their shoes. I play to my strengths. 


 Furthermore, best I can tell, we are raising a graphic artist, a dentist and an investment banker. (Not like you need hints to guess who's who, or exactly how many of those people I'm qualified to instruct  -  even if we're counting tie-dying as a legitimate art form). 





I needed exactly zero of those people in March. Not. A. One. 





What I did need was 4 radiologists, a car mechanic, a sarcoma surgeon, 3 baristas, a plumber, 14 short order cooks, 3 EMT's, 12 nurses, a bookseller, a cell-phone tech, 3 phlebotomists, a ballerina and approximately 20 public school teachers.  Clearly, I needed much more help than the The University of My Kitchen Table was able to provide.




Hallelujah for my kids' teachers (past and present). Because right now - we need them.


I don't even have words. 





Not only have these people taught my kids how to unjam a 15 year old middle-school locker and balance a chemistry equation, but in the past month alone, they have:   driven our kids to dance class; taken charge of having some meals delivered to Rico when I'm at work; sent us a very inspiring handmade watercolor; brought us organic chicken fajitas; taken Yoda out for a manicure; spent an hour helping Punk prepare for a test; created a card from Kooka's entire choir; delivered a triple batch of warm chocolate chip cookies; offered to drive us to Mayo; given me a much needed "let people help you" speech; shoveled snow from our driveway; offered to help me with choreography; taken kids out for ice-cream; helped Yoda waitress at a school fundraiser; given us all reallllly good hugs; helped with homework when we weren't there; and delivered flowers to one of our kids at school.





WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!!!



One of them is legitimately magical. No names, but this lady could give Dumbledore a run for his money. Our kid comes home every day with a giant smile - and it's simply because this human exists. 





Rico says I tend to underestimate the entire human race. I'm not sure that's true.  But I certainly underestimated how much love a school can hold.



Comments

Treats said…
One of my favorite memories of getting to know you was meeting you and Punk at Caribou where he was doing bath beyond my capacity and could carry on a conversation with an adult, with eye contact, asking questions and was clearly a bright, socialized, amazing kid. My guess is that you've learned more from them than they have from you.
j said…
I miss those days - not the math as much as the you and the caribou.
Treats said…
Me, too. I'd like to shrink your kids back to that age and hang out with them again :) Not that they're not awesome at the ages they are but (other than my own flesh and blood-and Yoda) I can't think of two cuter kids EVER.