At suppertime my husband, Frank, and I often regroup to make a plan for the evening. This
particular night we are eating quickly and early in order to rush into the evening activities. Our
daughter must go to swim practice from 6:30 to 7:30 and our son has homework. While trying to
be a mannerly example to our children and not talk with our mouths full, we negotiate our
evening positions. I opt for being the swim team mom and urge Frank toward tackling Cabell’s
science experiment.
“It’s all ready for you,” I tell Frank. “The list of items Cabell must have for the science
experiment is on the counter. You can get everything you need with a quick trip to Kmart.”
After dinner we split into our two divide-and-conquer groups and motor down the road. Swim
practice time passes quickly for me because the other swim parents include some of my good
friends. Emma and I sing along with the radio and chat on the way home and arrive in a good
humor. Cabell and Frank also seem to have had a fun time and we hear their laughter spilling
from the bedroom as we enter the house.
“Cabell, Emma,” I say, “Time for brushing teeth, then head to bed.”
As they dutifully groan off to the bathroom I turn to Frank, “So, how did the science project go?”
I ask.
“Great,” he replies. “Come see it.”
We walk to the kitchen and I’m thinking, “This is terrific. He’s so efficient getting the materials
together and finishing the experiment in an hour and a half. I’m impressed.”
“Here it is,” he says as he flips on the kitchen light. He moves to the counter and opens the
Kmart bag, “Tinfoil, tissue paper, flashlight, index cards, wax paper, plastic wrap, construction
paper. Now, we got this chalk and I’m not sure it was the right kind…Oh, no I forgot
something.”
By this time my eyes are wide and my brain is imploding with the words “forgot something.” Of
course you forgot something. Like the whole experiment,’ but the words just won’t come out. I
hear myself really say in a rather squeaky voice, “You forgot something?”
“Oh, yes, the drinking glass. I forgot the drinking glass, but he can just use the jelly jar from the
recycling bin. Whew,” he says, “I almost missed something.”
In disbelief I say, “Frank, did you think the science project was shopping at Kmart? Like O.K.,
we’re done, we’ve been shopping?”
“Um,” he ponders, “We weren’t really supposed to do the whole experiment were we?”
The funny thing is that he really is surprised. It truly never occurred to him or Cabell that
shopping at Kmart was only the means to the end. If we could just go shopping maybe we would
all love our homework.