Firestone Double Barrel Ale

Tonight was a treat, we took the kids to a Dodger game which was also a kids toy give-away game. We were fortunate to be able to let our baby daughter sleep at Nana's house while we took the two older boys. This all sounds far more "perfect" than it was. But as with most things in life I can hope for the perfect event, but it likely won't go according to plan.

My kids were on my last nerve today, and tried as I might I likely fell into the burden of parenting 20% category today. I couldn't win, and didn't have the patience to really effectively facilitate my boys playing, or even getting the playroom clean. I was done long before we were supposed to be in a car for Dodger Stadium. I even made the cardinal sin of threatening something I wasn't going to do, I told Drew if he didn't shape up he was staying home with me and Sean would go and get his toy with Mommy. It is a reasonable request, but as Cristina pointed out we never went out and got tickets so that we wouldn't go to the games as a family, we got them for us to be together.  To this day some of my fondest memories of time with my siblings were going to Lakers and Kings games with my dad.

We came up with a good consequence we could follow through with, no toy at the game if you don't act appropriately, and even that was moot, he was asleep within a good 30 seconds into the car ride and a total pleasure to be with at the game.

As we sat at the game, the boys with their new toys, and I with a great firestone beer and a pretzel; my wife and I had a brief moment between innings. I joked, I'm going to write about how regardless of my attempts at being a good dad sometimes my kids are just going to be brats. My wife, far more eloquently put it this way, we gave our kids something tonight, family time at the game. Years from now these memories will be carried with all of us.

Drew with his toys

Going to the game is about a lot more than just hot dogs and action figures, it is our family doing something together, being a family and relaxing. In the end I would have let the "brat" moment trump a future wonderful memory if I would have stayed home, put Drew to bed and watched TV. I may have made a point to him in the future about "temper-tantrums," but would I really? I mean stopping a 3 year old from having a rough day and crying and throwing a fit for no reason is like trying to teach a dog to stop eating food off the floor, who are you kidding you can't "reason" with 3 year old. I would have lost twice today, a bad day and a bummer of a night, the memory of the game wouldn't exist, and I'd be bitter right now.

 In some ways I feel like I have to justify my parenting, "I'm not placating temper-tantrums by giving in." But ultimately I don't think that issue was raised at all, Drew had a bad day he didn't "want" anything, and Sean, well I think Sean sees Drew throw a fit and he likes to see how mad he can make Drew because Sean thinks it is funny.

My wife and I have constantly striven to create a family that doesn't just wait for life to happen, we go out and get it, we go places, see friends, and host parties.  We are definitely doers, but when all is said in done I never want to look back on any aspect of parenting, or marriage and say, man I wish we would have done "that" as a family.

In the end I think the family won one tonight...as did the Dodgers 3-2 over the Cubs.

Life over a cup of Firestone Double Barrel Ale