I think it happens to all parents. It feels like you just give and give and give, and in the short term you have nothing to show for it except two screaming kids and a bunch of crumbs and smashed banana on your spot on the couch. Last weekend I had all of the above, plus a host of work-related deadlines and general grown-up pressures of the difficult type (like a letter in the mail from the city zoning office).
All of the stress piled up and turned an otherwise mild-mannered Daddy into a raging bull. I was over being a grown-up in general, and a parent in particular. I was having vivid fantasies of an alternate life as a dual-income, no kids (DINK) lifestyle. Just imagine: sleeping in on the weekends, long drives with no specific destination in mind, watching a full basketball game without a child getting injured in front of the TV. I must admit, there were more than a few instances last weekend when I was far from a model parent.
But then at some point during this week I got over my fantasies and realized how lucky I am to have two smart, sensitive, loving and hilarious little boys to call my sons. So on Saturday after putting in a half-day at the office writing telescope proposals I decided to take Owen on an adventure to a putt-putt golf course. As with many things in the greater Los Angeles area, the putt-putt golf course was about 25 miles, 4 freeways and 35-50 minutes away. Because of a major accident on the 60 West, the 60 East was backed up for miles and it took us about 45 minutes to get there. But it was worth it when the windmills and castles of the Golf-N-Stuff appeared on the side of the freeway. Owen said, "Whoa! Is that our adventure." It sure was!
Owen thoroughly enjoyed knocking the golf ball around the course using his signature, extremely-awkward golf stroke. Imagine a combination of hockey face-off, croquette stroke, and jungle explorer using a machete. On hole 8, Dad struggled on the par-3 volcano, ending the hole +4 because I couldn't get it over the lip of the mountain and into the caldera. However, Owen teed up, hit the ball through his legs standing backward and got a hole-in-one.
Later, on hole 11 the situation reversed. I got a birdie while Owen struggled to get the ball up the ramp and into the skee-ball like receptacles. So he decided to eschew the golf club and went for a more direct method of moving the ball:
(In the video, after I say, "Over there!" Owen says, "What the heck?! I can't believe that!")
After the golf course, we went inside to the arcade where we raced cars, shot some hoops and mini-bowled. We had enough tickets for two Blowpop suckers and a foam dart-like projectile. It was a good day out with the boy.
Oh, and on the way home I took the 60 W to the 710 N to the 10 W to the 5 N to the 110N, which was way better and only took 25 minutes!
All of the stress piled up and turned an otherwise mild-mannered Daddy into a raging bull. I was over being a grown-up in general, and a parent in particular. I was having vivid fantasies of an alternate life as a dual-income, no kids (DINK) lifestyle. Just imagine: sleeping in on the weekends, long drives with no specific destination in mind, watching a full basketball game without a child getting injured in front of the TV. I must admit, there were more than a few instances last weekend when I was far from a model parent.
But then at some point during this week I got over my fantasies and realized how lucky I am to have two smart, sensitive, loving and hilarious little boys to call my sons. So on Saturday after putting in a half-day at the office writing telescope proposals I decided to take Owen on an adventure to a putt-putt golf course. As with many things in the greater Los Angeles area, the putt-putt golf course was about 25 miles, 4 freeways and 35-50 minutes away. Because of a major accident on the 60 West, the 60 East was backed up for miles and it took us about 45 minutes to get there. But it was worth it when the windmills and castles of the Golf-N-Stuff appeared on the side of the freeway. Owen said, "Whoa! Is that our adventure." It sure was!
Owen thoroughly enjoyed knocking the golf ball around the course using his signature, extremely-awkward golf stroke. Imagine a combination of hockey face-off, croquette stroke, and jungle explorer using a machete. On hole 8, Dad struggled on the par-3 volcano, ending the hole +4 because I couldn't get it over the lip of the mountain and into the caldera. However, Owen teed up, hit the ball through his legs standing backward and got a hole-in-one.
Later, on hole 11 the situation reversed. I got a birdie while Owen struggled to get the ball up the ramp and into the skee-ball like receptacles. So he decided to eschew the golf club and went for a more direct method of moving the ball:
(In the video, after I say, "Over there!" Owen says, "What the heck?! I can't believe that!")
After the golf course, we went inside to the arcade where we raced cars, shot some hoops and mini-bowled. We had enough tickets for two Blowpop suckers and a foam dart-like projectile. It was a good day out with the boy.
Oh, and on the way home I took the 60 W to the 710 N to the 10 W to the 5 N to the 110N, which was way better and only took 25 minutes!
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