I think there is a competition going on that I'm just starting to see. Since the state (Texas) re-opened, my WAS has been taking my girls on lots of little outings and not sharing anything with me. It's not really a "secret", just that she might text my girls that she is almost home and if the get ready then they will go do xyz. Again mostly little stuff like get ice cream, run an errand and go out to eat. Occasionally, bigger things like go to movies. The girls are very open with what they've been doing, it was just that my wife stop including me in the conversation like was the case in the past.
However, with my work schedule (getting up at 4am and thus crashing at 8:30/9, and often being unpredictable whether I will be home at 2:30p or 5p, I didn't think much of it. After all, she was finally getting/letting the girls out of the house. They had basically been stuck at home since spring break, whereas my wife and I both go to work everyday. Now in hindsight, it appears pretty obvious that she was purposely excluding me and never once asking when I'd be home and/or available to go with. Then, I got the email...
One of the things that I have done is try to fill my time with the kids, even if we are just watching TV together. My wife and girls would binge stuff every night for the past few months. Most of which was (1) reruns of series that I saw before such as Grey's Anatomy among several others, or (2) lots of medical dramas, Chicago and Lone Star something, and good doctors, etc, or (3) reality TV reruns... I mean seriously, reality TV reruns? And they tease me about playing online video games with teenage boys and geeky old men.... well, ok, I probably deserved to be teased, but still.
In any case, one of the things that I "changed" was to always accept any invitation from my girls to watch whatever they want at the moment, even if its teen dramas, and so, now I know most of the songs to High School Musical. And, my son has gotten into it. He works at a movie theater, knows that I'm off work on Wed, so Tues is kinda my Friday night...also off Sun, so Saturday night is still Saturday night And my son's nights off are usually during the week too, so we've been catching regular movies... not new stuff, mind you. The theater is still limited, so Star Treks and Batman, for example. Tickets are very cheap and he gets free sodas as an employee.
So, as my work schedule stabilized and work hours reduced to normal levels, the kids have all clearly noticed and plan accordingly. Heading to movies tonight, about 30 minutes after my usual bedtime, and the girls have filled my day tomorrow with chauffeuring and other stuff.
So Sunday, I learned that my WAW and girls are headed to Colorado next week for vacation. The trip that my wife and I had planned before my "involuntary sabbatical", as the girls call it, and got cut short do to be restricted to in-state trips only, which is still the case. I think my daughter spilled the beans when she said "mom said that its too bad that dad can't go because he stuck in state, but this may be our last chance because [my older daughter] is going off to college". There is a kernel of truth, but still it feels like a slap in the face, as this was my dream trip with the kids versus the Disney stuff in years past. Don't get me wrong, love Disney, it was our honeymoon trip; but we've been there in several iterations and the Rockies in the summer was the one I picked that we never got around to.
And if the divorce wasn't hovering overhead, I would probably just wistfully wish them a great girls trip, which I will anyways, and then probably come write about it some more. Ugh.
And my son's nights off are usually during the week too, so we've been catching regular movies... not new stuff, mind you. The theater is still limited, so Star Treks and Batman, for example. Tickets are very cheap and he gets free sodas as an employee. 