From Dusk to Dawn

I was hoping this was going to be the last week for my wife Dawn working the night shift. I think things will be better between us when she gets on 2nd. I won't have to get the kids up so early and fight to get them dressed and in the car half in their sleep. She will be able to sleep at night and take Dane to his therapy in the morning.

Right now she works all night and then drives him 40 miles one way to therapy for 3 hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We exchange the kids in the parking lot when I arrive for 1st shift. Some days she is so exhausted and can hardly stay awake. Luckily my dad is able to go with her to keep her company for the drive.

What gives? We had a half day of nice warm weather over the weekend and then 3 storms moved through with tornado activity. Today it cooled down to 40 degrees and it's very windy. I'd like to stay in the house but Dane was fighting to go outside. I kept telling him that it was cold and windy. Still, he insisted and will storm out the door with or without me.

I have several locks on all our doors from when he was younger trying to get out all the time. Now that he's tall enough he figures out to move chairs and unlock all of them. He teaches his sister this. Monkey see monkey do. I may have to use door alarms just to keep me alert if I take a quick shower or laundry in the basement.

I did get their winter coats and hats on and went outside. I let them ride around in their power wheels for a while. Eventually, Dane wanted back inside because he was getting cold. Ally wanted to stay outside. Those two are exact opposites. What one wants, the other doesn't. One gets and then the other cries.

We came back in and they both got the stomach bug. I was wiping their butts for the next hour. I was trying to put a shoe rack together to hang behind the basement door for all those shoes we have. Why do women and kids have so many shoes? During that process I took a small tip of my thumb off when I was putting it together.

The kids are intrigued by the old "Pee-Wee's Playhouse." I used to watch this on Saturday mornings when I was a kid. There is nothing good on for our kids to watch that is enjoyable for parents and children. The old Sesame Street was funny and educational for kids and parents but now it's not the same to watch. I am old fashioned and I like things the way they were when I was little. The only time to get good shows it to buy the DVD box sets. TV is not the same. It's all those lame reality shows. Please somebody, make them stop.