My son Owen’s fourth grade teacher announces that it is “Drop Everything and Read Day.” This sounds amazing. Owen pitches a tent in the living room in an impressive six minutes. This is his first time doing it. He stashes a book, pillow and poofy sleeping bag inside, smiling like the Chesire cat. The boy loves a good book.

I think to myself that I will join my kids with my own yummy read and a fun Mrs. Piggle Wiggle read aloud. We can all use a break today. I turn my phone onto airplane mode and vow to not do any paid work this morning.

But before I can climb inside the tent, I need to switch the laundry, wipe the counters and wash the breakfast dishes. I also need to prepare the sourdough because the grocery store has no bread when I went 10 days ago.

Whoa, it’s 9:30 already? I have to help Owen log into his reading Zoom call. Then Rye, my kindergartner, and I will prep the sourdough. He sprinkles oatmeal and taste tests.

Now it’s 10 a.m. Time now to log the kindergartner into his weekly class Zoom call — on a separate floor, so there isn’t background noise.

I begin emptying the dishwasher. Then I notice my fourth grader is adding inappropriate comments to his Zoom call. Drying my hands, I re-direct grade four.

Now the kindergartner has left his call. He can’t find his share. We search and search some more. We find it but soon he loses interest in the call and we log out.

I remember to start making the dough for tonight’s pizza because we cannot buy that either.

Then the kindergartner decides to join grade four but first he wants to find his sleeping bag which is in the basement. I’m still working on the dishwasher as he carries on about being afraid of the dark in the basement and doesn’t want to go downstairs alone. The fourth grader gets out his kiddie bow and arrow and gives it to the kindergartner to make him brave. But it’s not enough. After a nasty mom threat, the fourth grader finally walks the kindergartner downstairs.

The sleeping bags are retrieved and placed inside the tent. The coziness calls out to me. Nothing I love more than blankets, books and my boys. But just as I’m climbing inside the tent, the fourth grader begins crying. Nestled inside his fluffy sleeping bag, he has somehow managed to kick his feet up and knock my new Kindle onto his chin. I look over the injury and climb out to fetch our penguin icy.

As I climb back in the tent, the boys declare they are hungry. Options and directions are given — dried fruits or carrots, and get it yourself.

Finally, I’m in the tent. I grab my blanket and Kindle and join my two cozy boys. I figure out how to turn on the device, find my page and slip into the world of my novel, where Emira is flitting around Philadelphia. I manage to read three sentences when the kindergartner starts reading loudly in his beginner style, “A rob-in wait-ed on the grass.”

“Honey, can you whisper as you read?” I ask.

“Nope.”

I take some deep breaths, then wonder why my bottom is cold and wet. I realize I’m sitting on the half-thawed penguin icy. The timer goes off. It is time to turn off the mixer that’s been kneading tonight’s pizza crust.

I sigh and climb out of the tent. It’s time to make lunch.

Moira Silva lives in West Tisbury.