Maybell XXIX

[Maybell]

I've got a lot to think about. I want him to be an involved dad. I don't want to lose time or shared experiences with my kids. I want to get more exercise. I love when the kids and I have relaxing evenings. I'm all over the map.

From here, he seems to know exactly how much wiggle space he has with you. If he's a Nice Guy, like me, then his skill is precisely to measure this space and make the most of it. In fact, that's probably how he became successful, by guessing exactly what's expected of him and meeting it as efficiently as possible.

You nailed it. A few hours after the exchange I mentioned I made a pretty big childcare request of him to cover from a day when the sitter can't make it, fully expecting him to say no, and he agreed to meet it. And tonight he called the kids.

So I have even MORE self-examination and experimenting to do.

Oh, and:

BTW, since he's that successful, I'm flabbergasted that he didn't get an apartment with enough space for them.

When he went looking for apartments, he had the choice between the very nice, freshly remodeled two-bedroom he's in (granite countertops, front-loading washer & dryer, etc.) and a much dumpier three bedroom closer to the house and his office. He sent me an email asking which one I thought he should get. I replied, "Well, you have THREE children."

So he got the two bedroom. Which, BTW, costs more. In fact... Since I've been looking around at rentals in my area in anticipation of selling our house, I've discovered that he could have rented a three bedroom HOUSE for less than the rent he's paying on his posh two bedroom pad.

Why am I even wandering around these cheeseless tunnels?