Chronicles from a Single Dad

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A Divorced Dad's Transition

Chronicles from a Single Dad

The Slumber Party

PLACE: SOFTBALL FIELD

TIME:6:30PM AFTER PRACTICE, CAKE CUTTING FOR A PLAYER'S BIRTHDAY

ALISON: DAD, CAN STACY AND CAROLINE SPEND THE NIGHT? PLEASE, DAD, I GET BORED DURING THE DAY...THERE IS NOTHING TO DO...PLEASE.....

What used to be a simple question with a simple answer, became a quagmire of legal and moral issues as a single Dad. Haunted by stories of guys being "setup" legally and later accused of inappropriate behavior with unchaperoned girls, I hesitated. I want normalcy so much for Alison at my house and of course I want to be trusted. I perceive normalcy as preteens slumber partying til dawn with parents yelling for them to go to sleep... Anyway, legal concerns aside, I said yes.

PLACE: CHINESE BUFFET

TIME: 8:15PM

I embarrassed Alison by responding back to the Chinese waiter in broken English. Friends thought it was funny though...so I was cool. In fact we set up a rule that while we ate, we would all have to speak in "English with a Chinese flair" Caroline was dancing a crawfish on the table to some Brittany Spears tune she was humming. I was blown away by this and immediately accepted her into my sanctum of the bizarre and zany senses of humor. Alison laughed and said "See dad, I told you she is crazy like you!"

PLACE: AT THE PIANO

TIME: 10:00PM

I played piano. Alison wanted to sing. Caroline wanted to sing. Stacy did not, so we cut it short. Started feeling the social triangle happening...(with 3, one can get left out if the 2 get too into something together)

Everything was going well until I woke up to the smell of burning popcorn at around 12:30am... They wanted to wrap a house, so I taught them the intricacies of how to hold the loose end of the roll of toilet paper and throw the rest over the trees really high and let the other girl catch it on the other end so as not to make too much noise...They wanted 4 roles each...I gave them 2 each...small yard. They did a great job. They didn't want it to end..."Dad can we get more toilet paper?" "Dad, can we do another house?" Dad was a hero for a night...my white armor glistened in the moonlight for that brief moment.

I swore them to secrecy, but I know Alison wants to spill the beans AND WILL!.

All went well...I believe we made some memories and I'm glad to know I am in them. Those memories just might be the closest thing to immortality that I ever achieve.

..got back at 2:00am...

PLACE: HOME

TIME: 6:30AM

I am dressed for work. Through the residual fog remaining from the prepubescent popcorn caper, I see three little soldiers sitting upright on the sofa...TV blaring...their heads in positions only found in horror movies...They fought the fight and won some battles against old Mr. Sandman, but at some point in the wee hours of the morning Mr. Sandman and his legions besieged them. Or perhaps it was a sneak attack...it usually is. Regardless, the results are always the same...motionless bodies strewn across bedless floors or sofas. The desires to be older gone from their faces, they look a lot like tired little girls. The Nanny arrives, I depart for work.

PLACE: WORK

TIME: 7:30AM

I'm dragging today...Coffee's not working...need to find out what brand of coffee God drinks...(imagining an entire plantation between his cheeks and gums)

Submitted: August 06, 2009

Memoir