Wrapping up

Our ambush business dinner was a success.  On the way into Cracker Barrel Mark said, "This is going to be about choir isn't it?"

"Why do you ask?" I asked in a convincingly (hey, I'm guessing) casual way.

"Everyone in the family has been talking to me about it.  Braeden lectured me for twenty minutes."

(When I later told Braeden about the conversation he said, "Oh, it was more than twenty minutes."

I told Mark it was a mistake to do things only because your older siblings did them, but it was also a mistake to not do things only because your older siblings did them.  I've always thought choir was a good fit for Mark.  He likes to sing and he's a pretty good singer.  He sang before he talked.  He wants to try his hand at drama and choir will only help him with that.  Besides, the choir program here is really amazing.

Over dinner, Mark agreed to take one semester of choir on a trial period. I texted Emma (who was still in California) and she was.... in favor of the idea:

I feel like I should explain about the picture of Adam I also texted Emma.

We'd been cleaning the garage and Braeden had invented a game where he threw a cardboard box in the air and then smacked the box with a hammer.  As you can imagine, it was very helpful for garage cleaning.

Later, at Home Depot, Adam picked up that whatever-it-is so I could send Braeden a picture of Adam's version of the game.  Adam sort of looks like a scary Viking or maybe Wreck-it-Ralph.  He sits at a desk all day when maybe his true calling is vanquishing foes.

The good news is, we didn't get thrown out of Home Depot.

Also on Saturday, I planned the rest of the school year.  I had a fleeting thought that I wouldn't have to plan for the rest of the year.

Then that settled over me and I realized, this is it.  I'm not going to do any more home school planning ever.

I try to savor and remember every bit of my time with Mark.  The other day we were reading about how you had to remove your shoes in Kublai Khan's presence.  Mark said, "Kublai Khan, the first TSA."  Then there was the time we were reading about Henry VIII.  Mark said, "Henry VIII was a piece of work.  Poor guy.  He just needed someone to love him...and a son."

What am I going to do without his constant presence in my life?  This will end the thirteenth year of me homeschooling. 

I doubt I could have done anything with my time I would value more.

Friday, I was reading to Mark while we were getting some work done on our van.  A woman was tidying up the waiting room at the service center.  She stopped me and said, "I used to read to my kids before they were grown.  There's nothing I miss more than reading to my kids."

I know I will always feel the same way.