so very boring and other thoughts

I'm bored. I'm calm, collected and utterly bored out of my brain. Today, after finding evidence of another squirrel in the kitchen, I set the trap in the morning and bingo, caught the little sucker by 2pm. I've cleaned the kitchen, taken the kids to the dentist and to piano lessons, read the paper, watched the news, eaten the necessary meals and well, that's about it. I don't have a million things to do like lots of other people. I'm not complaining, just saying. But that said, it does get a trifle quiet sometimes.

Yesterday was OK. I was feeling comfortable with myself, did the grocery shopping without stressing out, went for coffee and a milkshake with my son to kill some time and in the meantime ran into the parents of one of my students who then paid for my coffee, leaving me feeling quite good (what a nice gesture). Their girl is so cute, but very autistic. She's a real challenge. It's difficult to tell parents whose only wish for their daughter is to be normal, that it's going to take a long time. So far I've managed to teach her to say I want, to sit for about 5 minutes and she's just starting to say the beginning sounds of some english words. She's been coming to me for a few months now and her progress is very slow. Still, she is improving.

So we went to my mom in laws for dinner. She's a good cook and cooked us some chicken in black sauce, eggplant and other vegies in a slightly spicy very tasty sauce. Really good stuff. Then on to the inlaws so the kids could play. At 11.30, we getting ready to go home when almost ex calls. I knew he was calling us to come home and I was right. "Where are you?" "We're still here..." "You'd better come home."

He thought we'd overstayed our welcome. It's worth noting here that the kids were playing really well, sis in law and I were having what I thought was a mutually good chat about things in general and 11.30 is not particularly late here - really, on the weekend, their kids are up til 1am and they themselves are up til 3 or 4am.

Here's the thing. According to ex, I don't have very good social skills and I admit, there are times when I'm particularly clueless. On the other hand, he's very aware - sometimes too much so it's hard to relax. Where's the balance? Why does he need to decide for me what's acceptable? For god's sake, let me make my own mistakes.

I guess I'm just pissed that he felt he needed to impose his version of what's acceptable. I can't stand it. Let me fail, if that's what's going to happen. But maybe, MAYBE, I'm just competent enough to not fail.

Uggh