Quality Family Time

My kids’ Spring Break is this week – even with snow days, they somehow managed to get this entire week PLUS last Friday off. Of course, they don’t get out of school until late June. I picked them up Thursday night and they were here until yesterday, going home late afternoon. As I am currently unencumbered by the employment process, I was able to spend a lot of time with all three of them. Five days goes by in the blink of an eye, let me tell you. It was great to have them here for this “bonus” time (the week didn’t count as one of the two full weeks a year they spend with me, in addition to every other weekend) but the aftermath is no fun. When I drop them off to their mom, it usually takes me an hour or so to get home. That drive is so quiet compared to the usual laughing and singing we do when we’re in the car together. Last night was like the other nights when they go home after spending extended time here. The house is quiet(er), but it’s a bittersweet quiet as I miss them like crazy. Like any kids, they can be frustrating and exhausting but their absence is palpable and it makes my heart hurt. My kids are good kids and I love, love, love being their father. We have good times together and all three, even C1, are still happy to hug and snuggle with their old man and show some affection. I sometimes worry that if they were here full time that I might not be as good a parent as I hope I am, and am told by The Wif ™ that I truly am. The point is moot since, barring the unforeseen, they’re not going to be here full time, but I still wonder.

            Speaking of the kids though, I have to brag for a moment about C2 who has become quite a “jump in with both feet” kind of girl. She was the impetus behind a clothing drive at her elementary school, suggesting it to her teacher, who passed it along to the principal, until it snowballed into a school-wide initiative. Also, she had a suggestion for an improvement to this neti pot device she uses as a nasal rinse. C2 wrote a letter to the company, adorable misspellings and all, which made it up the chain of command to the CEO. He in turn distributed copies of it to his company, according to e lovely woman from the marketing department who called to speak to my daughter. The company was suitably impressed and a large care package of products is on its way here. Not bad for a nine year old.

            That’s been my week. With the kids here, I didn’t have time to focus on a Time Stream viewing or entry, but my hope is to have Marco Polo up by the weekend. Family time for Easter and Spring Break took precedence over nerd pursuits, although C1 and I *did* enjoy a couple of X-Files episodes. This entry is here simply to record for posterity how lucky I am to  be a dad of three amazing kids who make life better than I could have ever dreamed.

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