WAW and 4 kids

[tryingtilDorR]

Funny thing happened this morning that caught my attention.

Yesterday morning I got out and put the xmas lights on the house. I thought I woudld get it done because I had some time, so I put up the lights that hang from the roof. This morning I started putting more lights out in the yard.

W comes out and starts to complain about some lights I was using in the wrong place and ask why I was putting out the lights in the yard because that is normally what SHE and the KIDS do. I put them on the house and they finish the rest typically. Its not really a big deal, there are PLENTY of lights to put out - we usually never finish. The interesting thing was that she said:

You NEVER USED to do that before so why are you doing it now (putting lights in yard)? Also, you do other things, like make popcorn to bring to XXX's house that you wouldn't have done before.

The popcorn comment is from a few weeks ago when my S11 and S12 went to a slumber party and I made a big bag of popcorn and brought it over there for the kids. I have been doing this at home a lot with my kids and had just made it for a party we had at home the week before. Would I have done this before? Who knows, maybe not. I have changed in the past year, however, so maybe it isn't something I would have thought of, but who cares? She also made a comment yesterday morning about the fact that I made breakfast for my kids and a friend that slept over:

Isn't it nice that dad can make you breakfast?

I almost felt like what she really meant was isn't it nice that dad cooks for you NOW? I actually used to do this quite a bit, but I have been more consistently doing it just about every weekend for the past few months.

At times I have felt like I was obsessing over the W, watching her all the time and monitoring her behavior. I have backed way off lately, but maybe she is watching me as well?