Mosquito Bites

Yesterday morning, I had to run some errands. I had to go to the bank, put some bills in the mail, and stuff.
Ryan was working in the Snack Shack at the little league field, so I asked Nolan if he wanted to come with me.
Nolan never wants to come with me, because he’s the kind of kid who’d rather hang at home and watch TV or play PS2, or do just about anything except ride in the car.
But I ask him each time, because I really do enjoy his company, and there’s always a chance he could say yes.
Yesterday, he said yes. I think it had something to do with the fact that I have a new car (turned in my Passat for a Golf since my lease was up) and I suggested that I may be stopping at 7-11 for a slurpee on the way home.
Hey, a little bribe never hurt anyone.
Well, that’s not even remotely true, but the point is, he agreed. 🙂
I was surprised, but happy, and we headed out to do our errands.
We had a great time, listening to Cake and Save Ferris, Nolan asking me all the technical specs of the new car, recalling drives we had in the old car, and talking about the coming summer vacation.
The bank I go to has this new security thingy, where they make you walk through this chamber where both doors must close before you can get in or out.
Nolan wants to go through by himself, but I told him that I wanted to go through together to save time. He agreed too quickly, and I could tell that he was scheming.
So we conduct our business in the bank, and as we’re getting ready to leave, Nolan races ahed of me, and into the exit chamber. He lets the door close in my face, and crosses to the outer door, which he opens, and then holds open, pointing and giggling at me, because now I can’t get out.
I laughed with him, and told him to close the door, so he lets it go, but catches it with his foot, so it’s held open about 3 inches. He continues to giggle and point, and finally lets the door close.
We hit the post office, got our slurpees, and headed home. I went to an ACME workshop while he stayed with Anne and Ryan and played in the pool next door.
When I got home, we barbecued turkey burgers and went for a walk all around our neighborhood, the 4 of us laughing about all sorts of things, chasing each other, and enjoying the beginning of summer. When we got home, Anne took out the hose to water the lawn, and we stayed out front with her, watching Ferris jump through the water and tear around the yard.
When Anne was nearly done, the kids decided to limbo under the stream of water, which of course led to the 4 of us having a massive water fight at 9PM last night.
I can’t remember the last time we had a day in this family where we just played, and enjoyed each other, and felt free of the burdens that have hung over us for nearly 3 years. Let me tell you, we needed it. Things have been extremely tough for Nolan and Ryan, Nolan especially, with their father the last couple of months. He often puts his interests ahead of theirs, with really upsetting results for the boys. It’s been killing me to see these two little people, who I love so dearly, be constantly hurt by someone who they love. Not being able to really do anything about it sucks, too. They’ve both been really unhappy, Nolan especially, and seeing them both giggle and play and laugh and just relax for a whole day was really wonderful.
We ended the night eating ice cream and sitting on the living room floor listening to the radio.
When I put the kids into bed, I said to Nolan, “I really had fun with you today. I really enjoyed your company.”
He lifted his head off his pillow and replied, “Me too, Wil. I want to spend LOTS of time together this summer.”
I hope they’re all days like yesterday.

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89 thoughts on “Mosquito Bites”

  1. To paraphrase Vonnegut, isn’t it nice to enjoy your “nation of 4”? Enjoy the summer.

  2. Glad to hear it was such a good day for you ‘n the family. May they all be such, or at least may they outnumber and overshadow the not so great ones.

  3. glad to hear that you had such a good time 🙂
    remember, these are memories that they’ll have for the rest of their lives

  4. How come we never get the “I swear I’m gonna ring that kids neck if he pokes his head out that door!!!!!!” entries?
    They have to piss you off sometime, and if they haven’t yet, they will… they will….

  6. Family is fun! I know I like mine! Seriously I do!
    So… were there a lot of mosquitoes? You titled it that after all! Went geocaching the other day in Minnesota and boy were they rampant!
    Bye!

  8. Ah the family memories. It’s funny, days like that can never be planned, they just happen. Some of our vacations were brought down by bickering, but there were rainy days cleaning the house that stood out in my memory most of all. As we get older and spend less time as a family, the times we do get together are special. Today since it’s fathers day everyone came home for lunch. We had so much fun talking and laughing and making fun of each other. Ah family day.

  9. Hi Wil
    Sounds like you had a really great time! im envious cos i dont have any kids now!
    Hope you have a lot of fun over the summer!
    Justin

  11. Hey, Wil, if you’re reading this, STOP! Go outside and give the family a hug or go have a water fight or something.
    Right now, dammit! 🙂

  12. happy father’s day. your love of your step kids gives me faith once again and step-parenthood and how that actually can be a good thing.

  13. happy father’s day,wil and all the rest of the dads out there! wil, your love of your step kids gives me faith once again and step-parenthood and how that actually can be a good thing.

  14. It sounds like you have something really special there Wil. Don’t let it go (as if you would). Having come from a situation similar to Nolan’s, I can say this with all certainty. One day reality will set in with those two boys. The thing they will remember most is who WAS THERE for them. You’ve probably heard it said that anybody can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a DAD.
    Happy Father’s Day Wil!!!

  15. Like Brock, I also came from a similar situation. My parents divorced when I was in sixth grade and promptly became immeshed in their own problems. My mom moved accross the country and I rarely saw her. Nor did she call or write. It took me well into my adulthood to come to terms with that and to make peace with my mom. I wish I’d had a parent who loved me not because I was their flesh, but because it was in his or her nature. Your kids will appreciate this even if they don’t always show it. Beats a lousy tie for Father’s day, eh?

  17. Wil,
    You wrote:
    “It’s been killing me to see these two little people, who I love so dearly, be constantly hurt by someone who they love. Not being able to really do anything about it sucks, too. ”
    As a stepdad myself I have to tell you that you are doing something about it. You are there for them and that is the most important thing you can do for them. Don’t ever forget it.

  18. wil,
    sounds lovely, and you have a lovely family. i hope ryan and nolan (i laugh everytime i see their names together because i think of my baseball hero growing up… nolan ryan of course) realize that they have a great dad in you.
    Happy Father’s Day. you’ve shared so much about your life and love for them… you’re a better dad than most kids get. may you always be blessed and stay forever young.
    –clg

  19. Well Wil, you’re a very lucky man to have such a wonderful family! Reading about your adventures brings a bit of fun into my day. Thanks.

  20. Wil,
    You LEASE your car? Wow, I wish I was rich enough to throw money around like that.

  22. Damn Wil,
    You made me cry again. 🙂
    I hope that you have many more such days. They are the best, aren’t they?

  26. ‘Hearing’ a lot of Wil’s stories reminds me a lot of my dad when I was growing up. You seem to really love the kids, even if they’re not yours. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the country song by Brad Paisley, “He didn’t have to be,” but I pray, for your sake and for the kids, that it will express their general sentiments about you as they grow older.

  27. In light of recent issues I’ve seen you experiencing via your web page, it’s a prize to see to that you have the have an outlet (your family) to keep you sane.
    Thanks for sharing, Wil!!

  28. In light of recent issues I’ve seen you experiencing via your web page, it’s a prize to see to that you have the have an outlet (your family) to keep you sane.
    Thanks for sharing, Wil!!

  30. Happy Fathers Day, Wil and to all the other fathers who read and post on this list.
    I am a step-mother myself so I really know what you mean by watching a child being hurt by someone they love. I also get to watch my husbands’ heart break over and over. My step-daughter’s sun rises and sets on her mother whom she lives with but the woman just has no clue. She and my husband have been divorced for 9 years and she and her family waste no time in letting Elizabeth know how her father cannot be trusted because he broke the promises made when they got married. And I’m the harlot who destroyed all the mother’s hopes and dreams by marrying her father. Lizzie comes over for weekends and for 6 weeks in the summer and our life here is so different, she really struggles with trying to fit in ( my husband and I also have two small daughters ). And my poor husband whose never been allowed to get to know her, just doesn’t know what to do.
    This summer, we’ve decided to go to family therapy to help blend our blended family. First thing the therapist said, after interviewing Elizabeth, was that the difference in how we love her and how her mother loves her is that we do not make her work for our love. We’ve always made it clear to her that we love her very much. Her mother and her grandmother, on the other hand, have put a price on their love for her and that price is her hatred of us. If she assures them she hates us, then they will love her.
    It sucks, she’s only 11 and this has been going on since she was 4.
    But we do make sure that we have lots of days like ya’ll had together, swimming, fishing, talking, she and I do our hair and nails….just crazy fun stuff. I only pray it’s enough to help her keep her feet on the ground and help her remember that we always love her, come what may.
    Sorry for the long post ya’ll. She just left to go to her moms’ for two weeks and I miss her already.
    Vikki

  31. Stop having such a cool family life, Wil, or there will be mass saccharine overload.
    Rock on, dude.

  32. I watch star trek every week night here in Atlanta 8 pm. Enjoyed some of your episodes , especially the travel by THOUGHT. My Dad died in March and this is the first Fathers day, ever for me without him,. ENJOY YOUR FAMILY

  34. Oh, now you’ve made me cry! That was such a great story. I hope you have lots of days like that this summer, and the rest of your lives.

  35. I envy the hell out of you even just one of those days. It puts a part of me at peace to know that there are still families out there that have days like that.

  37. wil: hang on to the child-like joy of life…most guys pushin’ 30 are way short of it!…it’s never too late to rediscover the fun of being a kid…if you don’t mind a few sourpusses and their ‘oh, grow up look’…which i tend to see alot! d.burr

  38. It sounds like you guys had such a great day. I couldn’t help but smile when I was reading about it.
    I hope Ryan and Nolan know how lucky they are to have you as their step(I hate that word)dad. My husband is my daughters stepdad and reading about the problems your boy are having with biodad bothers me. It also makes me happy I don’t have to deal with that stuff. My daughter never knew her biodad and my husband is going to adopt her to make it official.
    When the boys are older I bet they will appreciate you so much more than biodad. I never belived blood was thicker than water.

  39. :sniffle:
    My parents divorced when I was 5, my Mom remarried when I was 9. It took me a long time to let my stepdad in. My biological father was an idiot, took my brother and me to parties and his girlfriends’ houses for our weekends together. My stepfather married a woman with 2 kids(Mom) when he was only 25. Guess who walked me down the aisle last August while my biological Dad watched from the sidelines? Keep it up Wil–your kids will remember.

  40. I think i have a tear in my eye…..NO IM SERIOUS…I HAVE A TEAR. That was one of the most amazing things i have ever read. So simple, so honest….so much about what LIFE SHOULD BE.
    “When I put the kids into bed, I said to Nolan, “I really had fun with you today. I really enjoyed your company.”
    He lifted his head off his pillow and replied, “Me too, Wil. I want to spend LOTS of time together this summer.”
    Kind of reminds me of Jerry Maguire…with that cute little kid…anywho….THANKS WIL, THAT STORY JUST TOTALLY MADE MY DAY.
    THATS WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT FOLKS, THE SIMPLEST OF THINGS BRING THE BIGGEST SMILES AND THE BEST MEMORIES.
    WISH YOU MANY MORE TO COME WIL.
    Lisa Marie

  41. Enjoy the kids as much as you can now, ’cause they grow up before you realize it and then move out… and no matter how much you think you’ll be ready for it, you’ll miss them more than you thought you ever could…

  42. Happy Father’s day, Wil. Those kids are so damn lucky to have some who loves them, and is sensitive to them. It can be a hard world out there. They have an ace in the hole with you. They know it, too. Good luck to you.
    B

  43. Wow, what a perfect day. Life doesn’t get much better than that. I’m just glad you’re smart enough to appreciate it! 🙂
    Hope your whole summer goes as well…
    >^..^

  44. At the moment the family has been spread to the corners and we are soon coming together again, hopefuly we will have some fun and family hearth like we so much need— I can sympathize about the whole “bad dad– ex thing–” I have oneof those too.. Hug the family- and enjoy :)– They are only young once.

  45. Thanks Wil, you just reminded me why I want to have kids so much, when I get a little older.. and when I get a dad for them and all the other jazz ::grin::
    And in response to William’s post, who was saying that you should have gotten a Jetta, I say the Golf was a good choice. 😀
    Happy Father’s Day!
    -n

  48. Well I hate to bring some chagrin to this happy stream of posts. As a child of divorce let me tell you nobody handles it well. But, I would advise you to stay out of it and for the love of GOD stop dissing their father on the website or at all for that matter. While it will not only make him mad at you, the boys love him so much that they will defend him and harbor a grudge against you for thinking you are better than him. I know from experience. For me I never had the perfect parents, I am just now starting to realise how much I really truly did miss out by having fucked up parents who put themselves before me. My boss is like the parental figure in my life now because he cares about me so much and he gives me speeches but they are because he doesn’t want to see me hurt…not because he is afraid I will fuck up and make him look like a bad mentor. I do appreciate having him in my life but he is not my parents and I have to deal with my issues with them apart from him. I dunno if you see the tie in or if you are getting the full picture. probably not if you grew up in a stable family. I just don’t like cocky people who grew up in stables families judging us fucked up so-called-disfunctional families. That being said…
    I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU TRADED IN A PASSAT FOR A GOLF!! I am a huge Volkswagen fan and I just about shiat my pants when I read you drive VWs!! I loveeeeeeeeeee Passats. Did you have a really stylin GLX with leather interiors and sunroof?? And it better have been a V6 manual or I will be disapointed. Hey even a PaSSat wagon would have been sweet. What’s this Golf like? GTI? LET THE PEOPLE KNOW. THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW!! Ok maybe just me. Myself I am trying to save up for a Rabbit Cabriolet. EEeeeeeEEEeee can you say dream car>??? I knew you could!!

  49. Fallulah:
    I think your missing the picture. ITS OBVIOUS YOU ARE THE PESSAMIST, NOT THE OPTOMIST. Life is what you make of it….and well its wils damn site so um……i think he can pretty much say what he wants. NOT ALL KIDS WHO DONT SEE THEIR FATHER OR A FATHER WHO ISNT AROUND MUCH IS LIKE YOU. I think its pretty unfair what you said….but were all entitled to our opinion. I just think you still have some harbored feelings…and well…..I dont think Wil was in anyway wrong about what he said or wrong in what he is doing. I dont think in anyway Wil made it seem like he was “better than him” at all. YOU dont know the ENTIRE story….and this is Wils Website so let him post freely….about the father or not about the father. AND he doesnt strike me as the type of fella to talk down their father in front of them.
    That being said…..Be Positive….positive people get positive results.
    Lisa Marie

  50. Wil – as a child who came from a divorce where my “natural father” put his interests before my brother and I pretty much all the time, I can tell you this:
    The boys will figure their father out.
    And they will always know that you gave what he couldn’t/wouldn’t.
    My step-father is my dad. I love him more than I can express.
    You love them. They’ll always know that. And they’ll always remember these days as fondly as you do.
    Keep up the good work man.
    Happy Father’s Day.

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