Tuesday, March 17th 2020

Upon waking this morning, Boy decides he wants to show Mom how to play Magic the Gathering.

Me:  WTF?!

Mind you, this is DAY TWO of our unexpected foray into Home Schooling under the Coronavirus Quarantine.  The ONE THING I have in my favor is the SCHEDULE we’ve created.

From 8 to 10am is wakeup time, (coffee, check news and social media time for me), and the slot for the kids to do their MORNING ROUTINE (ie; prep for the day, responsibilities and chores).

So to me, this thoughtful request of his is tantamount to an absolute ambush of precisely that to which I am clinging for sanity during these unprecedented times.

BUT, I also took a little online parenting class yesterday in which I learned that kids have TWO BUCKETS that need filling; ATTENTION and POWER.  So, I instantly recognized this as an opportunity to help fill BOTH of those buckets (giving him my attention as he shares his knowledge with me).

So I agree.  We head to the kitchen table.  He shows me cards, very patiently, encouraging me to ask him questions of anything I don’t understand.  Then, thankfully, by agreeing with everything he says we were able to “play” a sample round in which he basically makes all the moves.

Inside I’m going, “What in the fresh hell is this!  There is NO WAY I’m going to learn all this random, detailed, made up stuff!”   And then he helps me attack his dragony-things with a very serene looking “Druid Elf” and another card with some vines.  This is of course after I “tap” my “Forest” which has something to do with “Manna” and does “damage” with its “trample” and costs life points somehow.

I realize this activity would be PERFECT for our “OPEN TIME” slot later in the day, and that I won’t be giving away morning time again anytime soon.  Then miracle of miracles, this genius Boy says, “You know what?  Let’s stop.  It’s 9:15 and I don’t want to have any Morning Routine leftover later.”

So we do.  And he’s off to do his Morning Routine before 10am breakfast.

And I’m scratching my head.

Thanks Boy!

I love you.

Onward!

♦♥