Little m Long a

With school officially back in full swing, we
are finally settling into some routines.  Namely, homework
routines.  To say it’s been a struggle to get Zoë to buckle down and
focus on her work would be a gross understatement.  She has issues with
focus.  Some things she just feels are more important.

I get that.  I, too have been known to stray from the task at
hand.  I prefer to call it multitasking.  However, when it
comes to her schoolwork, focus is a priority.  House rule.

I try to check all of her work but there are other things that need my
attention and at times, my job in that regard fails miserably.
Fortunately, Maura is there to pick up the slack.  Even on nights when
she is working late she will make sure to give  Zoë’s work a good
once over before going to bed.

The other night she noticed quite a few errors and left a note to Zoë
enumerating each.  She also left me a note to make sure that I went over
the problems with Zoë before she left for school that morning.  It’s
what she does.  Maura leaves notes.

Zoë began reading the note and started correcting the mistakes in her
homework.  When she got to the second page she looked up at me in
frustration, held up the note and said, “Dad, she’s yelling at me in her
note!”

“Welcome to my world, Zoë.”

She started arguing, yelling at the paper in her hand, talking to the note as
if it were Maura in person.

“Zoë, stop arguing.  You know she can’t hear you, right?”

(wagging
the note in the air)  “But Dad, she started it!”