One of Those Days.....

Long day at the office. A forty minute commuter train ride turned into two hours because a tree up-ended in a windstorm and fell across the tracks. My wife had night-school and couldn't hang around to pick me up so I had to walk. In the rain. Get home to the kids who immediately inform me that they're starved and cry in unison "When's dinner?". Don the chefs hat and get cooking. Damned fine job too if I do say so myself. However, the kids didn't seem to think so. They picked at their food with their forks. My daughter obsessing about the bones that may possibly have been missed in the fish, my son, well, he just likes to pick. They were still assessing the palatability when I finished mine and started unloading the dishwasher. Every time I turned my back one would poke the other. Then the one who was the victim of the poke would fink to me. Food's cold now. Tension is rising. My son makes a show of a mouthful to prove his progress. He has to open his mouth to show me. Food falls to the floor. Daddy's BP is now 150 over 110 and rising. Warmth in my cheeks. My daughter sees the impending explosion, downs the remaining three mouthfuls in one and makes a dash. In the words of "The Champ", "I lose it!". I yell. My mouth opens and it streams like an MP3. My son eats. Finish cleaning. Get them ready for bed. My son informs me that he doesn't like me anymore. I'm done. I ask my daughter to read him his story. She informs me that she doesn't want to read the "Damned Story".

I come downstairs, open this computer and vent. Part of the reason I do this is for the kids. Someday I want them to read this and know how hard parenting can be. Best thing is knowing that someday they'll have kids and history will repeat and only then will they understand. Last laugh?

Now that I'm back to 120 over 80, I'll go tuck 'em in. Tomorrow's another day. Goodnight.