We have a thing we say, unfortunately we say it rather often: “You always pay.”

Last night my wife and I went out, leaving the kids at home with a sitter. We arrived home later than usual – after midnite.

The sitter was OK (I proclaimed happily as we drove up the street: “Her car’s still here! Yeah!”)

The kids in general were fine. They had convinced her to make them mac and cheese in addition to the pizza we provided (we’re all about the nutrition here, folks) and also talked her into walking a couple miles to a park, which was in the opposite direction of the park that is about two blocks away in the other direction. That’s all fine. She might even speak to us again.

But my eldest was still awake, at 1 AM, and didn’t sleep well last night, and then this morning refused to eat anything. He has been up for almost three hours and is walking around the house wimpering. He has a school project he needs to finish (that will take a lot of work, thanks to procrastination for like, a month) and he refuses to work on that, either.

So today we have beautiful weather and a petulant child. Lovely.