Acting like Children

Last night, my boys were in the backseat and as kids do, they had a couple of little fights... Alex wanted the comic section of the newspaper, and Andy wanted to do the Hocus Focus. I told them to take turns. We all went to Fuddruckers for dinner and we had fun. My fiancée commented on how "very American" the place was. We had some nice talks and played a few video games and then I took the boys back to their Mom's.

We were a little early, and I normally honk the horn and wait for someone to come out to get the boys. We waited a few minutes and although we could see people moving around inside, they didn't come out to get the boys. I guess they were going to make us wait 20 minutes in the car, because I usually have then until 8pm. Well, the boys got impatient and they went to the front door. They didn't come back. I couldn't really see the front door, and I didn't want them to be sitting there waiting, so I got out of the car and went to see if they had gotten in. They weren't there, but I could hear someone talking about me "He is up at the door!... " I waived and went back to the car. Just then, my ex father in law ran out, yelling at me.. calling me names.. like "lard ass" and "deadbeat" etc. etc... I called him and "old fool" and got in the car to go.. but he wasn't done.. he got in front or my car challenging me to hit him or something. So, I got out of my car and got up into his face and told him the step back and to go inside and to start acting like an adult. I noticed that he had been drinking, I could smell it and I said... "you smell like you have been drinking.. " his response was.. "WELL, I HAVE TO DRINK BECAUSE YOU DON'T TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHILDREN!" huh??? well, I guess it is because he probably is in some financial trouble and again.. I am to blame... because they don't know how to budget money.. I am sure that they are close to be foreclosed on again. He told me that I was on "HIS" property and then my ex mother in law came out to get in on the fun.. she started yelling.. and he yelled back at her to call the police because I was on "HIS" property... ok... I just turned around and told him that "I am sure that you are about to lose everything anyway" He yelled a few more not so nice things.. and I had a few things to say myself... then I left.

My fiancée got to see it all.. this childish exhibit... In the past, I would just drive off.. but last night it felt damn good to stand up for myself.. to see that old fart tremble a bit.. to see that I wasn't going to back down.. now that there was a witness to what really happens... I never raised my voice, but I did say a few things that I knew would antagonize them.. I know that it isn't right.. but it felt good.

I know.. my poor boys.. but it isn't anything new to them... they see this all the time.. these are the people that they live with.. they just haven't seen them yell at their father for awhile.. usually it is the neighbors or someone taking their kids to school or something else.. this time it just happened to be me that got their anger.

At least the boys stopped fighting for a little bit in the backseat on the way back... since we spend some time in the car.. we have a new game... we take the three letters off of the license plate in front of us and use our imaginations.. For example.. if the plate number was 497-CEP... we might say.. Cookies, Eat, People.. or something like that.. actually the boys are better at it than I am sometimes.