Playing Dead

Some days I'm torn between overwhelming joy in watching my girls and others overtaken by exasperation.  Tonight was a mix of both.  Our youngest usually has me rolling with her "say it like it is" matter of fact personality, but the homework thing frustrates me to no end.  Here's the thing, there are two competent, able bodied adults living in this house, but when it comes to homework other than math, she refuses to ask her daddy for help.  There have been a number of nights that I'm coming in late with our oldest from volleyball practice to find her at the table patiently waiting for me to help with reading homework.  My question is always the same, "Did you ask your dad?", and her response is always the same, "Daddy's not good at reading.".  That's not true, he reads just fine, but because it's not something he enjoys for "fun", he's not good at it.  I've done this before, but tonight it worked better because everyone was in the room.  "What would all of you do if I up and died tomorrow?".  Daughter #2, "I'd ask Daddy for help with my homework."  "Well then, pretend I'm dead and ask your dad."  Remarkably enough, she took the science page across the room and they figured it out.  They even enlisted big sister.  That freed me up to finish up dinner.  After she was done, she came in for a hug and a quick kiss and I told her I was glad I wasn't dead; she told me she was too! 

So, for about ten minutes tonight I played dead.