Kids and their toys

This summer could possibly be the best summer yet, but in my funk I can't seem to see it. I am not looking forward to losing my job. Everyone at work is feeling pretty down about the 5 or 6 of us that are leaving this month. The rest have until the end of September before they are gone.

My plans for my time off are varied. I know that part of the time I'll be building computers. My brother and I are getting more work for our company, but until I know I'm going to be working locally (not commuting) I won't push for more computer work. I think my brother wants more and more, so until I find some focus it's hard to say where the company will go.

I have signed Erik up for summer daycamp (who am I kidding, it's just more expensive daycare). He is going to be taking swimming lessons a couple days a week and going on a lot of field trips. I needed to do this so that he stays active. He would sit around all day and play video games and watch movies if I let him.

Kevin won't be in any camp. So on the weeks I have the boys when I am not busy looking for work he may just get on my last nerve.

The funny thing is I bitch and bitch about them not getting out and doing things on their own, but then I go out and spend part of my bonus (yes I just got a bonus right before getting laid off)
on an XBox 360. I am a contradiction in terms.

I mentioned a while back about how my ex bought Kevin a motorcycle last year (or was it 2 years). Well she laid down the law a few months ago. She said if Kevin comes home with any Cs then he cannot ride his motorcycle all summer (what is she thinking?). Well his grades were up and down this year. They started out good, but then they got really bad. He had a potencial of 4 Cs or one of those being a D around the mid point of the term, but he pulled his head out of his ass and really got to work. He managed to get them all up to Bs, and even got one to an A, except for one. He got a 79.3% in one of his classes. I am very proud of him for all of his hard work to fix his grades.

Although I understand that my ex can't just give in and let him ride his bike, I also think there should be some wiggle room due to his tremendous effort. She pulled me aside the other day at Erik's baseball game to tell me she wasn't backing down. Since I don't own any part of that bike I don't feel I have a say in how she is holding it against him. I will be talking to her about it some more, but not n front of Kevin. I don't want to undermine her authority. It requires some subtle and up-front tactics.

My boys are constantly after me to do things with them. Am I that cool of a dad? Sometimes it feels like they think my only purpose is to entertain them. They make me feel guilty when I haven't made any fun plans for the weekend (other than cleaning and yard work... fun fun fun). I was talking to MS (the lady I am seeing) about it. She says that I do tend to have something fun planned with them every time I talk to her. But then again these "plans" are not always for the kids. I take them to movies that I want to see, we go to ball games (major an minor league) because I want to go to them. Am I just a kid with a bigger allowance?

I've been playing Battlefield 2 with a number of people on Thursday nights for the past 7 or 8 months. Some I work with, and some I know just through the game community. My ex also asked on Thursday night "What happened to game night?". She did this because I took MS with me to the game. This was her first time meeting the ex. I know the ex had asked me this to emphasize my geek side to MS. But I love it when this shit backfires. You see MS plays console games. She owns a PS2 (lost the XBox to her ex in her divorce). MS got all excited when I told her I bought a 360. I think the ex's eyes may never come out from the back of her head.

Hmmm, I wonder if MS likes me just for my toys?

On a final note. I took the boys to a Rockies vs Dodgers game yesterday. Fifth row, just past 3rd base. A perfect day for a game. It was quite hot out, but the clouds rolled in toward the 7th inning to cool us down. We take our gloves to all games, just in case. They make me take mine, but it's all fun. I have been to a number of major league and minor league games in my life. Once when I was about 8 or 9 my dad almost caught a foul ball. That was as close as I have ever come, until yesterday. I was a couple feet from a foul in an early inning, then around the 7th I was inches out of reach of another. The asswipe in front of me tried to catch it in his plastic cup. That thing shattered and the ball bounced away. At least he ended up wearing his $5 Coke. Muahahahaha :D