Almost 42nd St.

It’s almost my 42nd birthday.  I wish I could think of something else to write, but the kids have bugged me too much tonight while my wife is out with her work friend for the evening and I’m solo parenting.  The kids just do what they want and disregard my instructions, which turn into requests after a few minutes, and which then turn into demands after a few more minutes…  and eventually turn into warnings when I’ve been ignored for 10+ minutes.  UGH.  Why don’t they stop before I have to "get mean" (their words, not mine.  I would consider my words of warning "calm" vs. what I hear from other parents sometimes)?  I don’t want to be their friend ALL the time, but I don’t want to be the loud, demanding Daddy who has to raise his voice above theirs either.

Doing things for myself…  now THAT would be nice.  Instead, the other 3 people in this family have me doing things for them or "the family" more often than not.  Oh, my wife would argue that I don’t HAVE to do it all…  that I choose to do it.  Uhhh…  yeah…  when nobody else steps up and takes initiative, that’ll happen.  The laundry doesn’t magically get cleaned by fairies…  the food doesn’t magically get replaced by elves…  the house doesn’t get cleaned by sprites…  no, it’s all planned out and executed by ME.

For myself, I think I’ll go to bed early tonight.  I need more sleep anyway.