Math is like being trapped in an empty room that’s painted all white and all you have is a dried out Expo marker. Then someone says, “Divide 1.8 billion by 19,496.”

Joseph helped Maddie with her homework.

Maddie thinks through each situation and wonders aloud about possible grey areas in the definition of a citizen and how intent might play into it, while Joseph knows how worksheets go–you can’t think too much–so he urges her along and helps with spelling. Finally, they are done and free to go play a game they’ve made up. I only know that it destroys the basement but at least they don’t argue during the demolition.

Joseph takes one last look at the worksheet. “That Cindy sure is a mixed bag,” he says and slides it across the counter and they disappear into the basement.

I have an after-school meeting with the kids. 10 minutes in the rarely-used living room to have a snack, get forms signed, report on school, and discuss the plan for the remainder of the day before I let them loose and return to work.

“And new business to report?”

“Yes,” said Joseph. “We did science today! And we had to design our own boats out of foil and see whose boat floated best as we added pennies to it.”

“That’s definitely a project right up your alley if I’ve ever heard one! How’d yours do?”

“Well, we ran out of pennies, if that tells you. 219 and still floating. The second place group made it to 100 or so.”

“What was your design?”

“A bowl.”

“Whose idea was that?”

“Mine.” He smiles. He knows I knew that answer already.

(After more discussion about the design, a better description would be that it had a flat, circular bottom with tall sides.)