Aaron’s 3rd grade math homework last week challenged us all. The textbook author called it: “Try, Check, Revise.” It should have been called, “Try, Check, Cry, Struggle, Revise, Check, Groan, Yell at Your Mother, Erase, Crumple Paper, Kick Your Brother, Cry, Try Again.” The underlying math skills themselves weren’t that difficult. Addition, subtraction. The life skill it was teaching was the main point. Try again.

I’m trying to remember the zen explanation I gave Aaron when his red eyes were begging me to explain why he was suffering so. I need to find that calm detached mode fast. I sit at my computer with my own struggle to understand what the hell I’m doing online Sunday night, battling Widgets, XML, RSS, Feed, and Code, in an effort to allow my Dear Readers to be notified by e-mail when I post something new.

Another unintended lesson the math homework provided is how wonderful it is to have a helpmate. Like Aaron did, I had a helper tonight, who tried to explain the new concepts to me, the Simple One. Unlike Aaron, I have not (yet) resorted to yelling, blaming, or throwing things at my helper.  I am writing this post to see if the new e-mail subscription widget is working. And to say, Thank you Christopher. You are my dream come true in new ways every day.

Now I cross my fingers, click “Post,” and pray.