what love looks like

I was a pretty decent homeschooler...all those many years ago. I researched curriculum, wrote curriculum, studied my kids, chose the best programs, worked hard at prep and having a great attitude and co-oped with the best of them. My kids have been to every museum, working farm, factory, brewery, printer, military installation and historical site within a 300 mile radius. I took them to Europe, Mexico and a bunch of places in between. They both were accepted into plenty of colleges and universities and they are smart, accomplished young adults who love learning.

Homeschooling was really amazing and I loved (almost) every minute of it with my kids. But honestly, after 18 years I was glad when Emily went to college full time. For about two years I was glad. 

Then my friend David told me he needed a sub this year for a few classes of high school English comp for a cool group he operates called One Day Academy. 
I pretty much begged him to let me teach. It has been wonderful. 
The curriculum was written by another friend, Debra Pahlow, and is way better than anything on the market and certainly better than anything I've ever written. It's deep, rich, engaging, educational and fun. 
If you have a student in the Austin area you should try to get them in one of Debra's classes.
Besides the awesome curriculum I am absolutely in LOVE with the students. They are surprising and maddening, mind-blowing creative and infuriating, heart-stoppingly insightful and mind-numbingly forgetful - and such a delight. 

The problem? The extrovert in me who loves teaching and taking kids places does not so much much like cooking. By myself. I like cooking with Terry. He is a inspiring and creative cook. Everything we make together, although it takes a while to get to the table, is great. But he is off tutoring college math with Emily in the study, nowhere near the kitchen. And he SHOULD tutor college math...I did grades 1-12, right? 

So what love looks like tonight is me alone in the kitchen making Hamantashen for my students end-of-the-study Book of Esther Purim celebration. I'm just not so good at this kind of thing anymore. The cookies are too fat, the filling is runny and they look NOTHING like the picture Debra sent me. After three crummy batches I am obviously in avoidance mode, writing instead of cooking-problem-solving. 
I am also googling who might make those cookies in town so I can go buy them instead of continuing to majorly fail at tri-cornered, jam-filled, cooking-baking.

I just went to the study to whine and Emily's remark was, "Mom, just go find a Jewish bakery where they make those things."

That's my girl.