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Spent the day playing Rad dad. I donated the balance of my allotted time this weekend to his mom .. long as she agreed to let me take him to church today. It's nice to be able to sing a few songs with him. (Today, for example, they played Amazing Grace.) The whole Christian theology (as you know) is predicated upon a father/son relationship. I befriended with the worship leader (soon to be a dad himself), who let the bug run around on stage after the service, exploring the various musical instruments there. My objective, in donating my time this weekend, was an attempt to help foster co-parenting harmony. The bug will soon be at the age where he starts questioning things like, "Why doesn't mommy & daddy live together? .. like other moms & dads do?" ••• today's entry continues here ••• I think a harmonious relationship with his mom would help minimize any negative aspects associated with the answer to that question. Along those lines .. I received a call from his mom last week, saying she was keeping him on my normal day of visitation, cuz (she claimed) he was sick. This wasn't the first time this has happened, despite the fact that court documents clearly state sickness is not a valid reason to withhold visitation. (Either parent can care for a child equally well.) Sure, I coulda made a stink, and went over there waiving a copy of the court order. But I let her keep him. (I didn't even call back.) And, it just so happens that she always pulls this on days when I'm supposed to get him for overnight visits, which hurts even more, cuz I look forward to spending time with him. Then at the last minute... And he *never* seems sick the next day (when she*does* let me have him). Miraculous healing? This week however, he was clingy the next day .. wanting to be held .. wouldn't let me put him down .. which naturally concerned me .. cuz he's never clingy. He's normally independent and adventurous. Why does a normally-secure child suddenly become insecure? The human mind (as you know) tends to imagine the worst. It's a horrible, sinking feeling. On a more positive note, the most common comment I get from other parents is, "He talks good" (for his age). Since he's my only one, I have nothing to compare him with. His latest verbal declaration was the protest, "No gotta go." .. when we were playing at the park, and I tell him, "Okay, we gotta go now." I'm also teaching him a few Spanish words, such as the words for horse, water, here, chicken, steak, beans, spicy, bathroom... Don't know if I'll *ever* get used to this part-time dad thing. Seems so .. unnatural. Doing the best I can .. giving him as much love & affection & attention as I can .. in the limited time I have him each week |
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