Everwhere is walking distance if you have the time

[ClingingToHope]

Long weekend done and the cake-eating continues this morning.

XW has to be in to work early on Monday so she texts to ask if I can take girls to school this morning?

I was going to donate plasma and make an extra $20, but I can do it tomorrow. So I say yes.

She drops D9 off at 7:15 a.m. Or more accurately she follows D9. She rode her bike here without a jacket and was freezing.

So I get her off to school and D9 tells me a little about her weekend including a couple of XW quotes of "your dad shouldn't."

I was a little perturbed and was considering sending a text. Then I thought, XW is just jealous. She always has been. The latest issue was about D9 hanging out at this one girl's house when she doesn't want to do something with D12 and me. XW tells D9 that I'm using this family as "free babysitting."

Duh.

I don't have family here like XW has her mom to fill in gaps. So I've set up a network of people D9's friends with where she can go for a couple of hours. It's a trade off because I'll have their kids over here to give them a break.

XW doesn't do this because it entails calling people and asking and then also helping them in return.

Oh well.

XW also didn't look at lunch menu and sent D9 to school without a lunch. D9 didn't like school lunch options, threw a fit, and the school called me -- because XW didn't answer her phone at work -- and I took her lunch.

So super dad to the rescue -- again.

The key to all of these situations is that I'm doing what's best for the girls. I am making XW's life easier, but I have bigger issues to face than struggling over schedules.

The only thing from weekend I really wasn't happy with is I didn't make it out Saturday night. My social circle is in flux. My friend from the newspaper who I would head out with moved after being let go. The wife of another former co-worker who usually goes out, went out Friday and stayed in Saturday. Several others who sometimes go out weren't. So I stayed in. The positive is I saved money but still ...

Final thing for those of who made it through whole post. Next Tuesday is XW's 40th birthday. I plan on sending her black balloons at work and a card simply saying happy birthday.

I believe the 40th is a significant birthday and -- unlike XW -- I plan on being the bigger person and sending something. Also -- and this is the devious XH -- XW usually didn't want a big deal made out of her birthday because she doesn't like getting older. Now, I'll be letting her whole office know she's 40.

So it works on a couple of levels.