May 31, 2011

Memorial Day Weekend is now in the rear-view mirror. No other holiday emphasizes the difference between my life pre and post kids as well as M-D-W. I LOVED M-D-W in the “old days.” Like back in the early 2000’s before my girls arrived. Back then M-D-W meant summer was on the way, and I almost always went away that weekend. I lived in LA then, so Vegas was most often the destination, but sometimes Hawaii or some golf resort somewhere. With buddies before I got married, and obviously with the wife thereafter. Now, it’s just another 3-day weekend, and what once were extended periods of relaxing without the stress of work have now become 3 days of uninterrupted family time…which often feels like one long extended test of how long I can go without losing my patience with Ariel. I desperately want to live in a society where it’s permissible to tell your 3 year old to FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SHUT UP! Anyone know any societies like that? And if so, is housing affordable there? And this was actually a pretty GOOD 3-day weekend. We had family and friends over to use the pool (recently bought a house with a pool, which is fun, but is probably going to drive us into Chapter 11 some day), and the weather cooperated. Now, of course, Ariel didn’t do a whole lot of cooperating, because that’s not how she (sometimes) rolls. She seems to be at all times merely seconds away from a total meltdown of yelling and insanity-inducing back-talk that seems to appear from NOWHERE. Which helps make the house feel as relaxing as a day-spa, obviously. And I’ll admit, much of what she says is funny the next day (like when I told her she can’t hit the dog with her toy mop and she responded by screaming at me that I then can’t EVER, EVER, EVER play with her dollies. Really? Um, ok, I can live with that, thanks). But when she’s going off…and it’s like the 10th time that day…and you’re tired from, you know, life? Wow. So not funny. Like George Lopez not funny. (Hey! It’s an unprovoked and pretty much out-of-leftfield attack on George Lopez!) And special events (like friends coming over) invariably lead to later bedtimes, which lead to tired children who make putting them to bed more difficult. And as all parents know, putting little kids to bed isn’t a process that’s crying out to be made more difficult. It’s not like Ariel falls asleep at night and I find myself feeling cheated since it wasn’t enough of a challenge. So let’s just say that as of Tuesday morning, I’m not exactly feeling refreshed and ready to attack the work week. .