The origin of the Chalkboard was actually the Shepkid’s mom’s idea. She wanted to have something to help us organize the schedule as the kids started school. So she hung a blackboard up in the dining room.
I only brought it over to Riverside to give the Shepkids something familiar at their dad’s new home.
George sees it all the time because it’s on his path to the refrigerator every morning. Now that the redheads both have phones, I often text them a picture of just the Chalkboard, not the blog.
Today’s quote is for my middle child. The glue of the Shepkids, Frederick Joseph. Someday he and his siblings will come across the blog, but for today, this quote is for him.
He is going through a tough period right now. He’s a freshman in high school with zits and pubic hairs. He hasn’t found his voice, his balance or his direction just yet.
Throw in being a middle kid in a divorced family and life gets tough. His little sister is the spoiled princess and his older brother is on the autistic spectrum. He’s left there to keep things glued together.
Fritz and Hazel have a strong bond and he is very protective of her. Though she could probably kick his butt right now.
Yesterday when the redheads were in Riverside I had to be tough dad and I don’t like being tough dad.
I touched on this earlier in the week when Betty needed a new battery.
This too shall pass!
Pimples go away and Fritz will eventually learn to manscape. He will finally organize his life and turn out to be a good person.
Until that time he has my Doc Martin firmly up his rear side. Just like I had my Oldman’s Red Wing work boot up my rear side for most of the 1970’s into the 80’s and occasionally in the 90’s.
I sure as hell hope I don’t have to rip Fritz a new asshole in the ‘30’s and ‘40’s! I’ll be too old for that crap.
I asked him last night if he wanted to come East of Mannheim and live with George and Asshole Dad. He said he can’t leave Hazel alone West of Mannheim.
That’s when I had to quickly see what was burning in the oven that wasn’t on. I really had to go to the kitchen and wipe the proud tears welling up in my eyes.
The adventures of a single divorced dad rage on….
Today for some reason is National Winnie the Pooh Day. Did you know Winnie and his friends all represent social disorders? I never knew this was a thing. I’m sure this concept was hatched in the last twenty five years.
My generation didn’t have labeles for kids. Well we did…. Kids were either retarded or they were shy or they were troublemakers. I was in the last category.
Back to Winnie and his connection to social disorders.
Here is the list:
Pooh – OCD and eating disorder
Piglet – Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Rabbit – Narcissism
Eyeore – Dysthymic Disorder (depression)
Owl – Dyslexia
Tigger – ADHD
Kanga – Social Anxiety Disorder
Roo – Autism
Fortunately for me, when I was a kid I only saw an English kid climb through a tree in his closet. There he found the comfort of his imagination. That was where The Hundred Acre Woods was located.
It was the comfort of my imagination that helped me grow from being a toddler to a troublemaker.
I’m worried my son Fritz never developed an imagination. He had iPads and phone apps do the imaging for him. This whole generation has had that same crutch.
Now Winnie the Pooh, Eyeore and half the freshman at LT take Adderall.
It’s already Thursday… get yourself a jar of honey and go put the smile on the sun!
