I picked Katie up from school (6th grade) yesterday. Budget cuts have eliminated buses for middle school and high school until the winter. She seems to really like being a sixth grader although she said she got a bit trampled in the hall. She carries a backpack, a gym bag, and her violin case and when she dropped one and bent to pick it up, people were stepping on her skirt. I guess it felt like she was being trampled. Katie helped me out on my math homework yesterday and figured out the problem (well, part of it). I felt pretty small, but later, working on it at home, I figured out the second problem and then was able to make a rule for both of them. I guess I'm not that dumb in math.

It's so easy to want to be selfish when you're with kids. Mary got off the bus at around 3:30 yesterday. She's in first grade so she's staying a long day. I started her on her homework and then was going to check my email. Just as I was getting on line Katie says, "I'm going to call Carolyn." So, I got off line. I got back on when Katie was finished and had to wait because the computer is slow. By the time things were coming up, Katie had to call Carolyn again. So I again got off line and finished helping Mary on her homework hoping I could check it a little later.

Mary was now done with her homework and begged me to go downstairs and watch cartoons with her. I was extremely annoyed at this request, but I said, "Sure" in a very dead tone. We were watching "Fairy Oddparents" when she looked at me cuddled under the blanket, got a big giddy smile on her face, and snuggled up next to me. She looked at me with eyes filled with such love, trust, and admiration. I felt ashamed of myself for being so annoyed at her simple request to spend time with her. Its easy to want to be selfish.

Kids definitely force the selfishness right out of you. I never did get to check my email.