just the three of us
Feb. 14th, 2009 10:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
topazMorgan has just left with his grandparents to spend his midwinter vacation in D.C. It's not his first trip away from us -- he's traveled with them to Grandparents Camp for two summers now, and to Maine two or three times. But this one feels somehow different. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
keyne pointed out that this time they're taking the train, not going by car all the way. That's probably part of it.
I think a little bit of it is also that this time we had to coax him a little bit into going. When the grands first suggested taking him along, a couple of weeks ago, he was all sparkly and shiny about the idea of going on a trip with them. But after a few days he started saying that he didn't really want to go after all. No particular reason. Just don't wanna. Thanks anyway, dad.
That was a weird place for me to be in, because I really would like to let him make his own decisions about how to spend his vacation time. But I am absolutely convinced that if he decided to go, he'd come back really glad that he went. So I want him to make his own decisions, I just, well, I just want him to decide my way. Is that so wrong?
Anyway, we talked about it all week, in conversations that included comments like, "I don't want to force you to go on this trip.... but man, I almost want to force you." And we talked a lot about the things to see in D.C., like the Washington Monument and the Wall (which he is particularly interested in for some reason that intrigues me). Free tours of the FBI! The Air and Space Museum!
So he agreed to go. And he's not excited about it exactly, but he's not digging in his heels either. And I think he'll come back busting with stories.
But it's weird being the dad now who pushes you into taking a boring trip somewhere with your grandparents. I'm supposed to be the crazy fun dad who does nutty goofball things! I had better take the kids to Montreal or something in the spring to shore up my self-image.
keyne pointed out that this time they're taking the train, not going by car all the way. That's probably part of it.I think a little bit of it is also that this time we had to coax him a little bit into going. When the grands first suggested taking him along, a couple of weeks ago, he was all sparkly and shiny about the idea of going on a trip with them. But after a few days he started saying that he didn't really want to go after all. No particular reason. Just don't wanna. Thanks anyway, dad.
That was a weird place for me to be in, because I really would like to let him make his own decisions about how to spend his vacation time. But I am absolutely convinced that if he decided to go, he'd come back really glad that he went. So I want him to make his own decisions, I just, well, I just want him to decide my way. Is that so wrong?
Anyway, we talked about it all week, in conversations that included comments like, "I don't want to force you to go on this trip.... but man, I almost want to force you." And we talked a lot about the things to see in D.C., like the Washington Monument and the Wall (which he is particularly interested in for some reason that intrigues me). Free tours of the FBI! The Air and Space Museum!
So he agreed to go. And he's not excited about it exactly, but he's not digging in his heels either. And I think he'll come back busting with stories.
But it's weird being the dad now who pushes you into taking a boring trip somewhere with your grandparents. I'm supposed to be the crazy fun dad who does nutty goofball things! I had better take the kids to Montreal or something in the spring to shore up my self-image.
