Random screams and shouts signal that the school bus has let the children out at the corner. I pull myself away from the computer and holler out the door, "Joooo-naaaah!" He says good-bye to his buddies and dumps his backpack at the front door. Thus begins the long march of homework, sports activities, and dinner before bed.

I have to brace myself for homework activities. I’m always a bit tired by that point, because I’ve put in a full day at the college, but there are worksheets that have to be completed and spelling words to be memorized. Jonah’s brain is all rattled from the state of nature on the school bus and isn’t ready for neat, orderly homework. His teacher puts smiley faces on his work without checking it, so I have to make sure that he really gets the work.

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