For Joyschool I took the 4 kids over to Greenbelt National Park for a nature hike, as our new unit is on the Joy of the Earth. We had a fantastic time, even with my fire not really starting (I only brought a glossy magazine insert for paper which mostly just turned to ash without making much of a flame, and the wood was still pretty damp from all the rain we've been getting lately) and the kids were darling. They loved looking through their nature viewers we'd made on Monday at any thing someone would point out as particularly interesting. We saw some neat fungi, ferns with spores on the back, mushrooms, bugs, a worm, etc. Anyway, I was cutting it pretty close to time to return home in time for the boys to be picked up at noon when another lady by our van told me that my front tire looked pretty flat. Sure enough. I contemplated for about 5 seconds the merits of changing it to the spare on my own, confident that I
could yet equally confident that it would not be quick or easy. Then I happily remembered that this was Tom's day to stay around the house and help me out in any way that popped into my head. Um, I mean, it was his school day, and it was possible that he would be home.
He got there in less time than it took me to get the kids out of the van and start swinging them on the swingset nearby. He had brought the bike pump and told me to load the kids in while he pumped it up. And a minute after that we were driving back home in plenty of time to meet up with the other moms. As I was driving off I looked at Tom and called out the window "You're cuter than the triple A guy would be!" which sparked Beth to say "I just love Dad" with an emotional sigh, "I just love how he pumps up the tire so fast." then Lily added "I love Dad because he's the best Dad in the whole world!" with a similar emotional not-quite sighing voice. He is loved. And needed. And we DO try to let him get his dissertation done when he's home, but he IS a lot cuter than a AAA guy!
