of mice and men

i.e. the best laid plans. Gone astray.

One of the challenges of being a father that I've encountered lately is actually finding some meaningful ways to spend time with my children. The oldest is the biggest challenge. Actually the real oldest child is my step-daughter - and I only see her once a year or so. Unfortunately that relationship never was what I would have liked it to be - but when she officially became my step-daughter the same week she graduated high school - well there isn't much childhood left there, and not much real father/daughter time to be spent. I love her and want the best for her in everything, but we'll never have that close relationship that you build from childhood.

My oldest is also in college, so it is hard to spend time with him because he simply isn't here. He is finding his own life, and trying to make his own way. He is making lots of mistakes on the way, but then that is part of life. Like his step-sister - he isn't here most of the time, so I can't spend time with him, quality or any other type.

My daughter, that is a completely different story - see my other blog for all the details there. Suffice to say that I've seen her twice in the last 18 months, and don't know when I'll see her again, but it will be quite some time before we can be spending any time together.

That leaves my two younger boys. The middle boy gives me a challenge - in so many ways he is so much like me at his age, and one of them (unfortunately) seems to be that he and his father (like me and my father) can't seem to find anything to talk about. And though we are very similar, we don't seem to have quite the same passions. I've had the hardest time finding things to do with him.

So a few weeks ago, Diane suggested I take him to see Rent, and we used one of her closings for the tickets to tonights show. He seems to like the movie and the music, and I'll take him to dinner first. I think we'll have a good time. A couple of years ago I took him to a Wierd Al Yankovic concert - that was also a lot of fun.

But the youngest has his nose out of joint, as my father used to say. He admits I do spend a lot of time with him, but he never gets to do the 'big' things with me. So then Diane saw that they always have a 'limited' number of Rent tickets available 2 hours before showtime, and thought "Mike can take him tomorrow night". Except she called, and the line for tonights cheap tickets started forming at 10:00 am today. The tickets don't go on sale until 6:00 pm, and most of the people in line won't get them, as there aren't that many.

So that idea died. But I remembered seeing Spamalot is coming - so I'll grab those tickets, and take him to that (we took the family to see it in Chicago, but he would love to see it again). But I can't find the tickets. Nowhere. Then Diane points me to the site, I click on it, and see it. April 17-22nd. 2008. shit. A year from now. We'll have to do it then, but that leaves me with nothing for him once again. *sigh*

Yes, I know the important thing is being there for them, doing the little things. Playing games with them, and my youngest wants to play games all the time. Constantly if he could. I took him to the last Confrontation tournament, and he didn't come in last (even winning his 3rd game). But the big events are cool too.

So now to figure out what to do with him. Looking for concerts he would like that I can stand - I don't see any. Maybe just a day at King's Island when it opens this year. Took me forever to find one thing, now I need another already.

update - hehehe - got an idea - but I'll keep it under my hat until I can get the tickets next weekend.