A few people have posted about their MLCers and the 6-9 months of euphoric behavior they exhibit when they run away from home and after a divorce. This is very true for a majority of them. It's called "freedom". Freedom to do whatever they want and w/whoever they want. They no longer have the pressure of us nipping at their guilty little minds. It does tend to wear off and life gets back to a normal routine of working, spending money on necessities and cleaning up and yes, even taking care of their children on their own.
I would suggest that you find someone to take care of your children on the days he's offered to watch them, i.e., the days he works. As for the days he's off...you can still have him do so, however, if he's late those days, then you will either need to point this out to him in a nice way or find someone else to watch them. You can't rely on him, nor can you have expectations that he's going to act like the old h and be there to help you.
The lateness could be a PA move or his work is keeping him busy. There's no way to tell...at this time. Get a backup plan in place and use it. If he says something, you can always say "h, I've had to cancel a few appointments because you've been late on the days you've worked. So, to keep from canceling my appointments, I've asked XXX to watch them on those days".
Sit quietly, the answers will reveal themselves when you least expect them to. The past is gone, the present is a gift and you need to focus on today, allow the future to reveal itself when it is ready.
