Well that escalated quickly. It is now Tuesday and we are back for another fun filled edition of The Arena for you to enjoy at your leisure. Are you ready to get started? I know I am.
Sunday was just a mere two days ago, but it was a great day nonetheless. The sun was shining and the temperature was up there. Up there enough that I kept the kids at the park pretty much all day. We got up that morning after the wife and I spent most of the night just talking. Around 3 in the morning Sunday, we finally went to bed. We just talked about random stuff. Well, she talked. I listened and responded as was appropriate. I think it made her feel good to get some things off her chest. Anyway, we got up about 5 to 6 hours later and started the day. Eli got up around 7:15, but I was not having that. I slept in until like 8ish. I got her up about an hour or so later because she was taking Eli to go see the new Avengers movie. Apparently, he decided to see Home instead. So she obviously acquiesced to his request. Meanwhile, I packed up the little boys and we headed over to Evergreen Park. I hadn't been there since the one event that I don't remember the name of happened there. The park wasn't much to look at then. I didn't think much of it as I was driving over there to take the boys to play. I was very surprised when I got there and saw that it was completely updated and redone. It was amazing! There was AstroTurf, new swings, new play set, everything. It was awesome. We played until about lunch time and then I brought the kids home to eat. I even tried to convince the wife to skip work that night so that we could have a picnic dinner out there. We had lunch, the wife went to work, and I prepped some food for dinner at the park that afternoon. I even picked up my mother in-law so that she could join in with the kids and have some fun with them. We finally got back to the park at a little after 2 and it was jammed packed! Everyone and their mother was out there having a blast. I didn't expect anything less though. The rare few days that it is sunny out here need to be taken advantage of. You can't skip on these days. Most afternoons, if it is nice outside, I let the kids play out front of the house until around suppertime. The wife finally made it to the park around 6 and we left there around 630. We got home and we watched a movie with the kids and then sent them to bed.
Monday rolled around and I started my day at around 5 in the morning. I didn't have coffee and I had to be to work early. Not a great way to start the week. I get into the shop later that morning and ended up having to assist a different shop because they needed people for a big job. Not too big of a deal because I am used to getting farmed out to other divisions and such from my time on the boat. I still got home around lunch time anyway. We spent the afternoon watching the first and second episode of Star Wars. May the 4th be with you! The wife fell asleep during the second half of episode two so once it was over, I took the kids upstairs and put them to bed. I attempted to get her upstairs so that she could sleep in bed, but she wasn't having any of that when I first asked her. I went back upstairs and watched some TV. I went down around 930 to try again to get her to come upstairs. She said she would and I went back up and went to bed. I started my day early so I planned on ending it early. I guess she came up around 11 or so because that is when the TV came back on and I rolled over and went back to sleep. According to her, I hogged the bed again last night. I'm not sure how much of that I believe because the dogs also sleep up there with us and they definitely take up more room than I do.
I got up this morning with a little bit more pep in my step because it isn't Monday. I even went without coffee today. That's day 2 in a row without the Joe. Of course, that could also be because I have no creamer and I need to get more from the store. That, I think, is the real reason why I haven't had coffee. Today was a very slow day at work. Everything seemed to take forever, except for the maintenance. I had one tasking this week and that was to get the maintenance done. My swing shift counterpart went ahead and did 3/4 of the maintenance that I had assigned myself to do. I would have done the stuff yesterday, but I was on the boat for most of my work day. Not that it matters because we are all one team with the same goal in mind. I don't feel too bad, but you know that I like to do things that I say I am going to do. My friend has his re-enlistment today so I got a free lunch because he treated me and the former LPO to lunch. My new LPO "had things to do today", which I'm sure is true, but I think he could have taken a little time out of his leave period that he is on to spend some time with a shipmate. Yeah, my LPO is on leave until I think Friday because he didn't want to be on base during some crazy area wide drill they are doing. I don't see a reason to take leave for 3 days, but that's just me. I picked up the kids from school today. I parked in the handicap spot because I have the placard thingy. As I was sitting there waiting for the boys to get out of school, I couldn't help but notice that I might have been getting stared at. To be honest, I used to be the judgmental person sitting in the parking spot across from you thinking that there was no reason for you to have that placard hanging from you mirror in your window. Now that I am a special needs parent, I have had to look inwards and change a lot of things about myself and all of the misconceptions that I had because of this new life that I have. My youngest 2 children are Autistic as all of you readers know. They don't look it, but then again people don't look stupid until they open their mouths and prove me right. I used to judge these people because I didn't see anything wrong with them or their children. I didn't know their full story. I couldn't get on the level of understanding that I have now. I have that understanding because I am now that guy that has a handicap placard hanging from the mirror on my windshield when I pick up my kids. I feel like other people stare at me and judge me for having it without knowing my story. I feel that way because I was once that way. There are some days where I still judge some people, but those are few and far between now because I know what the stares feel like. I know the thoughts that run through the heads of those that I once judged. It isn't a really good feeling and I feel all defensive to tell my story so that people can understand. Not all people care so I don't bother telling it unless someone directly comes up and asks. So I have learned to not be such a judgmental ass like I once was. Lesson learned now that I am wearing the shoes.
As the day ends, I can reflect on the fact that I have learned some new things and that I have made it through another day still breathing and yelling at kids to clean up their mess. I am still a dad and I will get to sleep in bed with my beautiful wife tonight after she finally gets off of work. Another successful day down, many more to go until the final breath. Keep chugging along and keep looking forward. Enjoy the rest of your day and we will see you again!
Until next time, this is Wickid and I'm out!! Time to make dinner for screaming children and myself. My tummy is all rumbly meaning I am hungry!!
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