Charlie

Yesterday we returned to our normal virtual schooling schedule. Unfortunately Timmy fell a few days behind when he was sick, so we pushed to get back on track. I'm hoping that he will be all caught up by the end of today, but it won't be without frustrations from both parties.

Our new school schedule involves virtual circle time three times a week. Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Timmy logs onto the computer and meets with both his teacher and classmates for stories, calendar work and other gentle curriculum objectives. It feels like every time he participates in circle time something goes amiss, so I do have to admit I worry about his teacher's perceptions of our family.

Yesterday Charlie Cat jumped up on the table during Timmy's Zoom session. Per feline habit, Charlie started to aggressively rub against the side of the laptop in a quest for attention. I shooed him away, but not before he made an appearance on camera.  Timmy's teacher asked, "Timmy, is that your cat we see on your camera?"  Without missing a beat, Timmy nonchalantly replied, "Yes. His name is Charlie. He is my cat. Sometimes he is a real pain in the ass."

Oh dear. Right after that the teacher made use of the master mute button. After that, Timmy just ended up putting a stuffed turtle on his head as he watched the rest of his lesson. Hopefully we will get through today's circle time without another "honest" observation or misstep.