good meetings at work - making good progress and good decisions on how to run the business. I feel I am immediately contributing, to a level commensurate with the additional responsibility I've gotten recently.
watched the James Bond flick - played hooky from work in the p.m. to do it.
had a difficult but ultimately satisfying meeting with the property management company. I rent a house, we're having a disagreement on how to manage the rent. I looked at it as an opportunity to exercise my new skills in conflict resolution in a totally safe venue. Spoke quietly. Clearly stated what I expected. They were defensive, and I explained that I was not blaming them, only that I wanted something other than what they were offering. They said they'd get back to me. This was very satisfying.
Tonight was my night with the kiddos. We had, as usual, a blast. They were all as happy to see me as I was to see them.
My son (12) is going to do the ski club this winter and I will be chaperoning him and the other 12 year olds - WARNING: NORMAL LIFE AHEAD. Also I got to give him a good ego boost - I had to rate his skiing skill, so the club organizers know how much supervision he needs. I put him at 8 on a 9 point scale (totally honestly). He was pleased. Me too. His mom has no idea how well he skis, hasn't seen him ski in 2 years. She asked me to rate him.
My daughter (6) brought a card game for us to play, and we played a bunch of games. Somehow I cannot manage to beat her! Just once tonight, I won by mistake, but then she got on a hot streak! I love to see her gloat when she wins. She comforts me sometimes. It's so adorable.
They were all crawling all over me. They need touch. Me too. All of them were jumping on me, wrestling and ticking me. I am very ticklish, my six year old can incapacitate me with a single finger. I think I need to come up with a "safe word" because when I beg them to stop, they think it's funny, and I am gasping for air.
We made a great dinner - flank steak and twice baked potatoes. Simple but the kids approve, you know? The 6 yr old helped me with the potatoes - they all love to help cook. (Last week the 13-yr old and I made the Lasagne, and the girls and I baked cookies.) For appetizers tonight we just had some cold fresh veggies and some of that Izze soda - Pomegranate. Oh and I bought a berry pie for dessert, which is a weakness of my daughter (10). (and me too) I try to make it an occasion when I see them for dinner, a small delight for all of us. I get ready before they come, so I can truly be with them when they are here, you know, not running around trying to put dinner on the table or doing housework. This is the kind of thing you can't really sustain when you see your kids every day. It gets old and routine. But I don't see em every day, so I try to make the most of it when I do see them. My restricted time with them - it's a blessing in some ways. I never wanted this, still don't. But because I have less time with them - it is a reminder to not take anything for granted. I look forward to it, and I think they do, too.
The wife was driving a new BMW sedan when she met me for kid exchange. The kids were very excited about the car, and though I did not ask, they wanted to tell me all about it. Turns out it is a dealer loaner. It seems the transmission in the minivan died. Luckily for her, the warranty still had 2 more months to go. So what could have been a $7000 car repair is free. Even the loaner car is free. I wonder if she has taken this opportunity to think about the meaning of the term "safety net". Probably not. If the transmission had let go just 3 months later, she'd be stuck with that bill.
But as I said in someone else's thread, if a frog had wings he wouldn't bump his a$$ a-hoppin. No sense in thinking in if's. I don't want a wife who wants me for money anyway.
So thanks for asking, GG. I feel good, glad to have spent the evening with my loveys. I hope you are doing well.
