Dashed

My children feign ailments to get their way. They whine like children if they don't want to do something. Both of them are masters of manipulating their mother. I get so angry at my son's attitude sometimes. I'll tell him, "Let's run!" And he almost cries in pain at his legs, "They burn, they burn...!" His eyes well with real tears...he falls, grasping at his legs, writhing in pain on the ground. "GET YOUR ASS UP AND RUN" I command. He low-crawls, dragging his limbs behind him, "Father...I can't....go on with out me. Leave me....save yourself." I snatch him up off the ground and stand him up. His knees buckle, and he falls again. My wife is mortified! "Leave him alone! Why does he have to run my poor, poor baby - you brute!" she yells. Suddenly - he sees his friend from down the street - he's off like a shot! Running like Forrest Gump down the street. I scream back at him to get his ass over here NOW! My wife again, "Why can't he go play with his friends?" He hears this, gives me a knowing wink, and takes off. I'm foiled again.

I despise people who happen to take off work unexpectedly on Monday's or Friday's. I personally think it shows disrespect and ingratitude. I know people who are sick either every Monday of every month, or every Friday of every month, or some combination of the two, so as to affect a three-day weekend EVERY WEEK OF EVERY MONTH OF EVERY YEAR. Because of this attitude I have towards absenteeism on these days, I do just about everything in my power to avoid taking them off, unless I've announced my intentions ahead of time. I've always been the person my managers have come to in order to 'fill the gap' left from those with less of a work ethic than myself. Also - and this almost never fails: If I absolutely, positively have to take off unexpectedly on a Monday or Friday, so does one of my team members! Making me look even worse. Its my greatest fear, and I hate those who abuse the system.

My folks didn't see their grandchildren for the 18-months we were in Saint Louis, and now that both the kids are in school, and we're no longer two miles away, we have to set actual schedules for providing them access to each other. This week of course, their first week out of school, my son went with my mother-in-law, and my daughter went with my folks; likely the last one-on-one either set of grandparents were going to get until next holiday after school starts. I know that my daughter loves spending time with her 'Grammie' and that they had a full week planned, as did I...

I was going to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull today. I was going to see Ironman Wednesday. Tuesday, my wife and I were going to spend hours shopping for DVD's and music. I was going to do some other things Tuesday prior to picking up my wife as well, then we were going to culminate the evening with Chinese Food in bed, and a movie. Last night was the first time since we got the television in the bedroom that we were able to watch an entire show, uninterrupted. "Bliss week" I had thee dubbed.

My mother called at 0700 this morning. My daughter is sick. I call into work - my wife makes a doctor's appointment, I leave to retrieve her. Thankfully, they drove her halfway to me, saving me an hour and a half. We get home, "I'm better now," she says, "Can I go play?"