We made it to Delaware Shakespeare‘s Midsummer Mix Tape performance this evening. It was a delightful selection of songs and scenes from past and future DelShakes productions.
It was a joy to once again picnic at Rockwood Park and experience the Bard live on stage.
We are most looking forward to the upcoming productions of Twelfth Night (my older son’s first experience with DelShakes in his first months of life) and The Tempest.
But before that, I urge you to visit Delshakes.org and get tickets for one, or more, of their summer productions.
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Westen, my older son, stole the iPad from my room last night and stayed up with videos and games.
This morning he missed jiu-jitsu because of his late night. I missed out on yoga because I was trying to get him up and didn’t yet know about his deception. Neither of us had a top morning.
A friend needed a favor, so I was blessed with the chance to put some space between me and my son. I don’t handle these situations well and needed the productive cool-off time.
By the time I returned, I was ready to ignore the fiasco as long as it would buy me a quiet house. Our plan was to attend a Delaware Shakespeare performance this evening and that offered enough complications on its own.
My younger son, Isaac, hasn’t been game for getting out of the house as of late. None of my plans seem to please him until the car door opens at our destination, then, maybe, he’ll be the happy little kid I know.
He never used to put up a fight about Shakespeare, but I was expecting one today. With my patience thinned out before noon, I was not optimistic about my plans.
I ordered pizza from Claymont Steak Shop for a picnic before the outdoor show and crossed my fingers. Isaac put up no fight and we got out the door on time. Things seemed to be turning in my direction.
As we got to the park, I looked for the email with our tickets. What I found was a cancellation notice due to inclement weather. I thought, “Here we go. Questions about why I didn’t check sooner and ‘Was this a trick?’ were sure to come.”
But they didn’t come. We discussed where to find cover to eat and got ourselves set up. I often carry a camp table and it came in handy with the other picnic preparations.
We filled our bellies, played a little in the rain, and calmly discussed which movie to watch before bed.
The whole day teetered at the edge of disaster, but cool heads and reluctant forgiveness kept us together.
Disclosure:
In small, strange ways, the items linked below kept our day moving in a positive manner.They are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
We all have doubt when we start home educating and, unfortunately, that doubt returns in many forms again and again. It is not an easy endeavor, but you are not alone.
My first advice is to change “I have to do it” to “I am choosing to do this.” It is a huge responsibility, but you will find an amazing freedom in owning it.
“Why is it okay to go to the liquor store and not okay to go to the treadmill?” -Michael Malice
I don’t think there’s a simpler way to ask about the madness and destruction of the Lockdowns.
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I hope Dave Smith goes through with his plan to run for president. We need to hear a new way of dealing with conflicts in other countries.
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Laws divide us. They create violent enforcers and innocent criminals. When those laws are imposed by the smallest political class, the effects are exacerbated.
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My younger son has read 18 volumes of the One Piece manga series. Our look at the online catalog revealed that the 19th volume was available at a library on our way home, but I could not place it on hold. We had the time for a detour and headed in that direction.
This library had a very different feel. There was a uniformed guard insisting that we all wear masks. We walked out and I gave my sons a choice, wait in the running car with the A/C on while I ran in for the book or put masks on for a few minutes to join me. After fumbling in the car for our long unused and cross-contaminated masks, we returned to the entrance. A man was exiting the library and started challenging me in an elevated voice. The jist was that I was part of the problem by giving into the mask wearing. I tried to tell him, “Long day, man, tired of the fight. There are things we can only get in there and I’m giving in for a few minutes.”
He chose not to hear me. He accused me of child abuse for forcing my children to mask. I explained in clear words the choice they had been given and directed him to ask them about their decisions.
He chose not to hear me. I tried once more to explain that I may not be perfect, but I wasn’t the enemy.
My blood was up, but I saw this was fruitless. I turned my back as he crowed about my freedom to jump off a bridge, or some such nonsense.
I entered the library and noticed the guard was distracted from his post. I also checked into my memory and realized this maskless hero had only walked in a minute earlier to drop books in the return slot. His bravery extended to shouting at a single dad and his sons.
Laws must be enforced arbitrarily. One library has no mask enforcement while another in the same state has a uniformed guard dedicated to enforcement. That guard has no backup, so even that enforcement is subject to circumstantial whims. This arbitrary enforcement creates confusion. The confusion manifests as wholly absurd behaviors including yelling at strangers and improperly (and inconsistently) wearing masks.
It is all a dad can do to create a sane and stable environment for his children. It drains me many days. Today was worse than most.
Be kind. Don’t make assumptions. You don’t know how bad someone’s day has been or why they are doing what they are doing. Don’t be a maskhole.
I can’t remember why I was on a tirade. I’m sure it was stupid and embarrassing and my own doing. My younger son brought a piece of art to give to me to calm me down or distract me. I was a shit about it and brushed it aside.
He was away this weekend and I found the spin art created from his first KiwiCo build.
I wanted to express my gratitude in a special way, so I built a special frame for his art.
This is waiting for him to find in his bedroom, but I hope he’s okay with keeping it in a more heavily trafficked area.
