Thanks for the sentiments, my friends. I had a decent Father's Day after all.
A couple of weeks ago xW had asked me about Father's Day since it would fall on her week of custody. I told her that I expected that regardless of the custody schedule, Father's Day would always belong to me and Mother's Day would always belong to her. xW got snippy (as usual) and said that that would have been the arrangement IF I had signed the Separation Agreement, but because I had not then if I wanted to have a day during her week I needed to give up a day from my own. She went further to say that she would "give" me Father's Day if I gave her one of my holidays this year -- specifically Halloween, since that falls on my weeks of custody.
I was a bit taken back and p-o'ed at her so I gave no answer. We left that unresolved.
Yesterday I was beginning to resign myself to the fact that my S's were not going to be able to spend any time with their father on the one day so intended. Then xW sent an email early in the morning that reiterated her question of what I wanted to do for this day. She suggested that either (a) I trade the entire day for Halloween (again) or (b) take the boys out for lunch.
I was quite perturbed but not surprised (strangely) how I was being asked to barter for what should be my right as a father. Never mind the trade she offered was a crappy deal where I give up a major holiday for a holiday that for her has absolutely no real meaning anyway, it's just another Sunday to her. The very idea that I am now being forced to haggle for time with my children is offensive to me. On the other hand, I guess I had better get used to it because this Thursday's mediation session is going to be just more of the same.
I told xW that I would take the boys to lunch.
So, after church service I met xW and our S's in the parking lot. xW announced that the boys had come to a decision about where to take me for my Father's Day dinner. They wanted to take me to Bullwinkle's (think Chucky Cheese's with better food and better cartoon characters.) My thought was that this was xW's way to get me to fork out a little money to buy the boys an overpriced pizza meal, but I didn't care. I even extended the offer to Xw to join us, my treat, but she (as expected) declined, saying she had to go shopping instead. (She had turned down my offer to take her and the boys out to dinner for Mother's Day too. So no surprises.) Again, I did not care either way, but it struck me that all she wanted was for someone to babysit the kids for her, otherwise she couldn't care less. Whatever.
Sadly, we discovered only when we got there that Bullwinkle's was shut down and had gone out of business. That was disappointing, as I was looking forward to kicking back, taking in a decent meal, watching an animatronic show with my S's, and watching as they played all the games and activities. Now this plan was out.
So thinking fast, I took them to Outback's for a very good meal, and then from there to Putt-Putt Fun Center. We had a very good time, so much so the boys each had a meltdown when it came time to leave. I can say that I was not happy for our time together to come to an end either.
