How To Enjoy Tuesday Work From Home

So Tuesday work from home has evolved into Johnnie's first full day with me for the week, which means I'm spending the bulk of the morning homeschooling him. With Ms Gee's lesson plans it isn't as bad as it sounds actually as I have already carved out a routine for Johnnie and even Lisa mentioned yesterday that Johnnie pretty much knows the routine now and tells HER which resources he's supposed to be doing in what order. For me the trick is what to do when he finishes up the lesson plan. I do NOT want to sit him in front of Tumble Leaf videos for the afternoon. But that's also the time when I start with my own meetings and so I have to leave him alone. Fortunately he CAN be independent for blocks of time up to 45 minutes I think as he did today. I just left him with paper, his markers, and scissors and he got on the floor and started making stuff. The best thing was that he actually amused himself doing this. In that sense I think we are very, very lucky with a kid like this. And then again I changed my mind as he gets into karate mode and just jumps right at me trying to decapitate me. I didn't mind when he was much smaller. He is not small anymore. In fact, his kick packs quite a punch anymore. Anyway I did manage to be productive today even though technically I only put in a half day's work. That half days work managed to run the department though and run it well if I may add. And to be candid, that was more than I would have done working from my office in the FRB on a usual Tuesday LOL. When you throw in the Johnnie work then I'm a downright Superhero. All these conversations about working mothers being heroes. Well there are us working dads too... us single dads trying to get our jobs done and raise the kids when its our turn. And the best barometer to me is that Johnnie was having fun. I waited until exactly 5 PM and then I told him my work was done and we could now go do soccer and barbecue Italian sausage. THE Tuesday night ritual. This after he tells me that when he gets older he wants to help me do my work. I love this kid.

Really all Johnnie wants is to play with his dad. At least today. Or do whatever with me. It didn't matter what. I had already mentioned how simply kicking the ball against the wall had already gotten old. He wanted he and I to kick the ball back and forth to each other. And so I did just that. And ramped up my steps count in the process. So much so I was already at 7500 steps by the time I got done barbecuing the Italian sausage. I think it was early December when I switched Panda Express Tuesday to Wednesday and started doing Barbecue Tuesdays instead. And here we are 6 months later that I've been able to keep it up. And now that it is starting to warm up and be even more pleasant outside, I may do it more frequently weeknights. And so he had his usual Sausage with penne pasta in chicken broth. And I made my special fried rice with Italian sausage for the 2nd Tuesday night in a row. I could get used to that really. And so I reflected that Johnnie doesn't really care as long as he gets to play - which is quality time - with either Lisa or I. As for me, it's all about keeping my vibration high. I noticed one blip when Johnnie was working on his changes for his card read-out-loud and he almost messed it up to the point that I thought of doing the whole thing over. And I got frustrated and pounded the door. Why did I do that? Johnnie just stared at me and when he started to rub his eyes I thought I screwed up and hurt his feelings yet again. yet it was he who told me No Dad I'm not sad or crying. Just something in my eye. It was his front bangs that are now so long they are drooped over his eyes. And so yet again I have to remind myself to manage my expectations. And that Johnnie is already far better than most. He IS allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. The absurd reaction from me is my mistake alone. I WILL learn. And fortunately Johnnie and I did manage to have a nice rest-of-the-evening together. How can you not when I had chocolate cookies baked up my sleeve?! That is part of the Tuesday night routine too. As was more lessons. Math lessons on Freckle. Pete the Cat on video reminding us of the THREE BITE RULE. It was all good. Someday I'm going to look back in this time of the coronavirus quarantine and I hope I never forget how much time Johnnie and I got to spend together especially on our special ITALIAN SAUSAGE BARBECUE TUESDAYS. THAT is how you enjoy Tuesday work from home.