Routine

Life's pace has finally found brakes and we're down to a steady gear. Got a text from my best friend, checking out how things are with the kids and if the scene is pretty much normal now. I guess you could say the past few days have been quiet. Work kept me distracted. That, plus a bunch of new, good Aussie friends.

A has been asking for the dog lately. Funny how she's noticed July missing, and has limited her questions about her dad to the usual guessing game of 'Do you think daddy's at home?' each time we turn into the garage. Well, that's what you get when your child's used to NOT having her father around. Sadly, it is normal routine, and A thinks her dad is just out at the gym, at her lolo's, or with friends.

I grew up with working parents. There was a time in my life when I was even closest to my nanny. But my parents are great folks who teach us how to put God first, who impart values and make sure we grew up to be good people. They make us priority next to God and each other. They plan vacays and take us places to enjoy being with each other. It was and still is my dream to give my kids more or less the same childhood I had. However, R took a part of that dream away when he started prioritizing 'other things' over family. He was always, always, always out. Vacations were spent without him, or if he had any planned, without us. Family Day Sundays were limited to church service and a drive-thru for dinner (when we're lucky). And well, his time at home equated to stress for everyone else.

But don't get me wrong, R is a good father. I've admitted in the past that he is the better parent. But that's just it: you CANNOT be a good parent when you cannot be there for your kids. When you cannot provide a family or a future for your kids. When you choose to be there for them ONLY when you feel like it. When your friends become priority and your kids become 'next time'.

Sadly, this is reality not only in my home but in many other homes as well. Do you want your kids to belong to broken homes? I wish parents would think first before they even begin to destroy the very basic thing each person has. And that is family. Once, in a conversation with an officemate friend, we talked about how the devil attacks families because at the core of each person, a family exists. Each one has a family some way, somehow. You destroy that, you destroy the very basic thing each person has. No wonder Smokey double-times!

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The kids and I stayed home today. We planned on going to the zoo but it rained as we were headed out. Staying indoors has its advantages. I lazed around and took naps with the little one. A spent the afternoon in front of the laptop. But you can only keep a 7-year-old entertained for so long. Soon, she got bored and kept checking out the clock. One day inside and she went crazy. I remember watching time tick by when I had to spend a month and a half on bedrest. I drove myself crazy. R must be going nuts. Hehe! ;)