I wake up in the morning.. about 7:30am. I make my son and daughter breakfast in the morning, then I begin making my daughter's lunch for school. I then get my daughter dressed for school and my son ready for daycare.. get myself dressed, pack up the car.. drive around the corner in peak hour traffic to drop off my son, then to drop of my daughter (not necessarily in that order).
I get home.. try to get in breakfast then get onto emails. My wife is usually busy teaching students in the other room while I email, blog, post, draw, organise and email... yes again.
Next thing I know.. it's 2:30. Time to pick up my eldest. I go over there and stand with the men and women that are 35+ (35 is being nice), usually by myself.. or with the odd parent that feels like talking to a tattooed kid for a sense of novelty, until the bell rings.
I grab my daughter.. head home and talk about all things school.. get home and read her book from kindy... then try and get some food in there.. maybe a workout if i'm lucky then it's time to pick up my son.
I get to daycare and have a prolonged convo with his main carer and then pack him and his sister back into the car... head home.. usually get them a small snack and then start dinner. The next two to three hours are a blur.. cook, eat, clean, bathe, pyjamas, teeth brush, milk, story, song, bed.
Would you look at that.. it is now 9:30 and i'm sitting down. My wife comes in and asks me whats for dinner.. so I re-heat whatever is remaining for her. We sit down and we have to watch something about house renovations or house selling... or at least nothing depressing. Then it's time for bed.. what time is that? oh I don't know... 11:30-12... shit 1am if it's 'one of those days'.
I am only 29. I could be out there partying and living it up... drinking my liver into oblivion and having no responsibility. I could be care free... not a problem in the world! That could be me... shiit I know 35 year old people that are still doing that now.. Why am I a father at 29? What made me put myself under all this stress? I have a soon to be 5 year old and a 3 year old! I must be crazy..
Oh wait a minute.. that's right...
I had kids early because I want to live with my own family.
I want to be fit enough to teach my kids sport and be able to keep up with them (to a certain degree of course).
When I hit 40 (mind you I have 40+ parents with first children in Kindy) my children will be 16 and 15... Well into High School.
I want to do it the opposite to what is recommended these days.. I want to start my life at 45.. I want to be able to do what I want to by then. Sure I'll still be responsible for my children but by then we would have all grown together. I can't wait.
I suppose I'm just trying to justify to myself why I made that leap when I did. When I think about it though, when wouldn't I try to justify it to myself? Is there an age where you don't need reassurance? Is there a threshold of youth.. that when you get to that point you need to seriously consider growing up? Please.
I'll take the younger parent.. younger adult approach thanks. Sure it's a run around.. but I'm sure as hell fit enough to keep up.
Oh.. would you look at the time.. it's 2:30pm. Gotta go pick up the little girl...
Thanks for playing. Goodbye.
