That's why (I hate to admit) I was really reticent about having kids when I
was well into my '30s.  Laura is younger than me and it was her first
marriage, so, naturally, kids were in her game plan.  Don't get me wrong.  I
love the two youngest to death and I'm thrilled they are here.  It's just
that I feel like they are missing out on a lot of stuff because I simply
can't do what the other dads are doing.  Our neighborhood is kind of an
anomaly too: there are virtually no single-parent families.  The place is
about as "whitebread" as you can get.

I think the issue is going to be harder with the boy.  I can get his sister
interested in sitting down for an afternoon while we tie flies.  She's into
the art and science of the whole thing: entomology, colors, techniques, etc.
That's cool because we can talk and laugh and just sort of...click!

Alex, on the other hand, is a doer, not a thinker.  His idea of fishing, for
example, is five minutes of actual "hook in the water" time, followed by a
few hours playing "pirates" by climbing the trees overhanging the lake.  He
doesn't hide his disappointment, either, when I tell him that Dad can't
climb the trees like he can.  He even said, the other day, "Matt's dad likes
him better than you like me because his dad gets in the (tree) fort with us,
and you won't!"  He doesn't buy the argument that I'm just not capable of
it.  It doesn't make sense for him because he sees me in the old photo
albums just "doing it all".

Like I said, it's something I thing young CPers should think about when they
consider having children.  It may not be Politically Correct, but when the
rubber meets the road you could really be cheating your kids.

Dammit!  Got an alarm.

-K

-----Original Message-----
From: BG Greer, PhD [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 4:15 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: feeling guilty or angry was : Missing Children


In a message dated 9/24/02 3:01:37 PM, [log in to unmask] writes:

>Bobby, what were your physical capabilities like when your kids were wee
>ones?
>
>-Kyle
They were are far cry better than now! They were teens when I had by-pass in
'83 and started slowing down. Before that I was hell on wheels. My body now
reminds me everyday!

Bobby