Mr. Mark

Monday Mark and I have an appointment with the registrar at Pleasant Grove Junior High.  We're not sure what his school day will look like next year...every other day, part of a day, all day.  But it will be different than what it is now.

My homeschooling days are numbered.

It fills me with a whole bunch of loss.  A life raft I have to hold onto is my own interest in teaching in a school again, coupled with the knowledge that good things await Mark.

Still.

I really enjoy every minute of this.  We have a loose routine that I love, punctuated by small adventures.  With only one exceptionally bright boy (I'm his mother, I can think that), the school work doesn't take too long.  A few days ago we went to BYU to buy tickets to some of Clarissa's performances.  We stopped by the Museum of Art and perused the Japanese Deco exhibit and then the origami exhibit.  We didn't take long/read any descriptions/linger.  It was just a happy stroll through art which is always good for the soul.  We kept a lookout for Clarissa, but didn't see her.  At one point, Mark gasped and said, "There's David!"  Then he laughed because, not really.

He's a turkey.

But I love spending my days with him.

Yesterday I was cleaning the bathroom while Mark was working on a math assignment.  He was supposed to tell me when he was done.  I was scrubbing the shower and heard an odd sound.  I turned around and this was walking toward me:

It was a robot type thing that he had built for science earlier.  (We do science first thing every day, at Mark's insistence.)

How could I better spend my days?  I can't think of a way.

Around lunch time, I was thinking about how Mark needed a little bookshelf in his room.

We had a little bookshelf in our room that would be perfect.

And then the shelf down by the piano would be perfect in our room.

(Wheels, they were turning.)

I scanned the Ikea website for bookshelf ideas (to replace the one by the piano).  Then I decided to look at the KSL classifieds.  Ta da!  There was one that was just right!  I sent a text to the owner and was thinking the best idea would be to go look at the shelf when Braeden could go with me.  (The whole Craigslist killer thing plus he's good at carrying furniture.)  The owner of the bookshelf wasn't available in the late afternoon or evening when I could take Braeden--or Adam.  She said she was home right then or I could come another day.

When have I ever been patient?

I decided Mark was strong enough for lifting and loading and besides, I didn't think Highland, Utah in the middle of the afternoon was a very risky place to go.

I told Mark if he was helpful (meaning no complaining and actually helpful) I would take him through a drive-thru on our way home.  He helped me reconfigure the seats in the van and I counted out the cash and we were off.

We chatted and listened to music and Mark complimented me on finding the house.  (It's always sort of a miracle when I find the place we're seeking and my kids know it.)

The shelf was even more perfect in person and we loaded it up.  Mark took a picture of it with my phone and texted it to Adam while we drove.

Adam texted back, "What is that?"

That is Mark and me, solving the storage problems of our world, one bookcase at a time.

I got Mark a double cheeseburger at the McDonald's drive-thru.  He opened it up and showed me. "Twelve years," he said, "Twelve years and you can't remember to ask for no pickles."

(I guess because I think he should get over it and eat the pickles.)

We strategized the best way to get the shelf in the door and then had to carry the other bookshelf upstairs.  Mark wanted to wait for Braeden.  (Again, me with no patience.)

"We can do it!" I said.  I reminded him of the no complaining clause of the contract.  We negotiated the landing on the staircase thanks to his spatial skills and he even rescued a few pictures from falling off the wall.  And he's getting strong, just in time to replace Braeden as the resident strong boy.

All the bookcases are in their new homes.  Mark and I have more small scale adventures in store and I'm going to enjoy this homeschooling gig as long as I have it.

Here's the new bookcase because I know my sisters will ask for a picture.  I have yet to arrange and rearrange things on the shelves, but you get the idea: