GroshLink

Who says stay-at-home moms don't have much mental stimulation?  Hayley and Ellen are in first grade.  In first grade you learn to read.  Thankfully they are enthusiastic about this new endeavor.  The difficulty comes when they inevitably stumble across a word they don't recognize and can't sound out.  Depending on what they are trying to read this happens quite often, say, every other word.  They like to read books while travelling in the car.  "What a great way to pass the time," you say.  In theory, yes.  But in actual practice it goes more like this:

Mom is driving.  Ellen in sitting in the middle seat of the minivan next to Eden.  Hayley is sitting in the way back seat.  Mom is trying to navigate A) roads she has not travelled before or B) icy, snowy roads.  From the middle seat mom hears, "Mom, what's e-n-o-u-g-h ?"  "Enough," mom says after thinking about it for 3 seconds.  "Mom," from the way back seat, "what's f-o-w-a-r-d?"  "Uh, sorry Hayley, I didn't catch that.  What is it again?"  Mom got lost after f-o-w.  It's especially difficult when mom can't distinguish between s and f or t and v or some other similar combination.  I call these quizzes "reverse spelling bees" and don't think they are any easier than a regular spelling bee.  And interperse the spellings from the backseat with some incorrect letters and watch the frustration mount.  "Mom, what's b-u-s-e-l-y?"  Mom wracks her brain while trying to avoid a 5 car pile-up.  "I don't know what that word is.  Spell it again."  "B-u-s-i-l-y."  "Oh, busily!"  But the one that takes the cake went something like this:

We were on our way to a place I hadn't driven to in probably 10 years.  So I'm following directions.  One 7 year old (who shall remain annonymous) is stressed out because she's nervous about the event we're heading to.  Her stress expresses itself as exteme moodiness.  I must admit I am not dealing with the mood in an understanding manner.  She's trying to read, of all things, the Bible while riding in the car.  Eden interjects at random intervals with ear splitting screams.  I'm patiently doing my best to decode the letters that fly at me from the middle and back seats.  Then I get the doosey.  (Now here is where I wish I could locate the exact word for this story, but I can't so I must improvise).  "Mom, what's L-e-u-m-dash-m-i-t-e-s?"  It may look rather innocuous as you look at it in print, but try it while navigating unfamiliar roads, with 3 kids in the car, one of whom is ready to explode, and you are ready to scream.  "I'm sorry, honey, I didn't get that.  What is it again?" I say while mustering every ounce of patience left in me (which isn't much).  She repeats.  "Honey, I don't know what that word is."  She spells it again, frustration rising in her voice.  I try, I really do, but I can't even guess how to pronounce what she's spelling.  "I don't know what that word is.  I'll have to look at it after we stop."  WAAAAAA.  She blows her top.  The stress and frustration have come to a head and she can't hold it in any longer.  Thankfully, we arrive at our destination.  True to my word, I look at the offending word and still don't know how to pronounce it!  Nothing like Old Testament Hebrew words to get your blood boiling!  Anyway, things improved after that.  Miss Moody perked up and had a great time at the event, I had the privilege of entertaining Eden for 2 hours while I waited and peace reigned in our hearts once again.  The blessing of darkness on the way home certainly helped!  So you can keep your Sudoku puzzles and crosswords to yourself.  My mind is receiving plenty of stimulation these days.