Musings on dh

Ever since the storms and some personal house-clearing, I've been focussed on our house. Whatever lazy-blocks have been there are gone now, and it's been cool. The dishes get done, the laundry gets cycled, and it doesn't always feel like such a chore. I know this is how other people live-- just do it!-- but it's new to me.

So anyway, P-Daddy has been out of town a lot because of a special assignment with his job. Even though he comes home at night most of the time, he commutes 2 hours each way when he is in Aberdeen and he's fairly useless when he is home--snappy, fatigued, cranky as hell with me especially. It's put a strain on the family in a pretty noticeable way, as it has been going on now since October. The neighbors are getting divorced, and now our kids have asked us if we are getting divorced too, since Daddy doesn't really live with us anymore. That kind of strain. Beautifully, only D-meister seems oblivious. Friday when P-Daddy came home, D stretched up
pudgy arms and screeched "Daddy!!!!! Happy now!"

This weekend P-Daddy made a concerted effort to be present and with us, in mind as well as body. We started our pilates-together program (I have never worked out with P-daddy before) . We worked together (gasp! together?) to steam clean the carpet in the entire house and did some more clearing out. When we returned the machine we went for a family drive, exploring Fox Island. There's not all that much to explore frankly, but it is lovely, with beautiful, expansive vistas. We saw a new-to-us totem pole and a nice carved troll, blah blah blah. Lots of family joviality and the like.

As we were heading off the island, it happened. The kids were sucking down Smoothies Daddy had just purchased for them, when N decided he wanted to go to the SuperMall. We said "no way Jose!"

"Why?"

"Because you'd have to drop me off home first, " answered P-daddy. This was agreeable to the children, of course.

"I want to spend time with Daddy while he's home," I told them.

"But why?" N answered, "The kids are the nice ones!"

YOWCH.

I guffawed at first, as did P-daddy, but then he stopped, his face pinching a bit with hurt. I held his hand for a while, a promise to wait out this unfortunate assignment of his.

That afternoon, he played kickball with the kids for a long time and made them a special supper. Today he's back in Aberdeen and will be gone again for two days.







I hate GWB.