Dad and Lad night

So about two weeks ago Danielle tells me over dinner that she will have to work late on 04Jun09, and that there was also a local photography class that night that she would like to attend. My first thought was "I wonder if she will be mad if I eat the last piece of chicken." I know it is considered rude in some places to eat the last of something and I don't want to take food from my pregnant wife. But seriously, someone has to eat the last piece sometime - me and now is better than not me and, well, anytime. She went on to say something about me having to drop him off and pick him up at daycare that day, and I'd have to do his bath, etc. There were a lot of words. I don't remember them because I was enjoying the last piece of chicken (I took the last of the cheesy potatoes too).

Nothing else was said about it until yesterday when she reminded me of my responsibilities. And I kid you not I started to crave Lemon/herb chicken with a honey glaze. Strange how the brain works. There were more words and instructions, the most notable of which was "No scotch and Splenda with dinner." Check. (Who drinks that with dinner anyway? It does not go with any entree that I know of.)

The drop off went well. We both slept in a little and had a nice lazy morning. I don't have any proof that nothing weird happened other than the fact that he was there when I went to pick him up. But after we left daycare we were completely on our own. To prove that all went well I took some pictures.

First we exercised. He didn't do so well - his head just wasn't into it. Wouldn't even attempt the deadlift, he just rolled it around and crawled over it.








We did a little better with the bench press, but like I said he just was not focused.






Then I cooked dinner - hamburgers, green beans, and baked potatoes. A nice well rounded meal, if I do say so myself. And yes, before you call DCFS I gave him his little plastic safety spoon instead of a fork just like you are supposed to do. I don't know how he is supposed to address a baked potato with it and I'm glad I thought of that before I cooked a steak. But I don't think it mattered anyway because he just picked at his plate and did not even touch his not-scotch-and-Splenda beverage. To disguise his lack of appetite he tried to hide the green beans on the floor. I guess they just fed him at daycare. We talked a little about table manners and cleanliness and how you can't just throw things you don't like on the floor. I thought it sunk in.



Then we played a game. I won the coin toss so I got to choose. Chess - the game of kings. it has been a while since I got to play and it should exercise his logic skills (because honestly, I don't think he will be a power lifter if tonight was any indication). I let him play white because he is still learning.

He did well with the opening, King's Indian Attack, IIRC. He had some difficulty physically grasping the pieces (age appropriate), or so I thought.

Turns out the little trickster was just trying to distract me while he ate some of the pieces.

It was a futile gesture as I had pinned his king on the A file. It was completely by accident and we both laughed about it.

He then made the only move he could.


In algebraic notation it is fl-O-O-r. Or a floor-side castle. Completely legal in some Eastern European tournament play. But since we were not in Eastern Europe, and after the whole green bean incident, I had to take the hard line and send him to bed without a night cap. Sometimes as a parent you just have to lay down the law. It can be tough, but it is for the best in the long run.

It was a shame too, I had set aside several packets of sweet-n-low just for tonight. More scotch and sweet-n-low for me.

Dennis