Journal entry N°11- Splinter's journal:
Peaceful kids, noisy kids.
Parenting can be wonderful and rewarding, but it can also be difficult and unpleasant.
Being a father of four boys has never been an easy task but that does not mean it is impossible… even for a simple minded rat like I was when I first found them.
The first years were not too difficult. I discovered with time that kids were easy to amuse, teach and discipline, they went to sleep early and they weren't too noisy. I will not deny there were times when things got out of hand and some yelling could be heard but, like I said, they were easy to discipline and they obeyed almost immediately.
That was the good part.
The bad and unpleasant part for me had to be feeding time, bath time, bed time and the small "accidents" they had when they drank too much water before going to sleep but even that was tolerable.
And then they grew up.
Bad and unpleasant did not even begin to describe how raising teenagers was for me. Still is, actually.
They were more curious, more agile and cunning than me thus it became a problem to prevent them from leaving home.
Perhaps I taught them too well.
They always remained obedient but every now and then I had to punish them for going against my word, for harming each other, raise their voice at me, reply when I lectured them and for those atrocious words I wish they would have never learned. More than once I had to give those punishments to the most rebellious of my children: Raphael.
With all those punishments, curfews, arguments, more rules and more lectures, it seemed that the good golden days of fatherhood were long gone.
And if that was not bad enough… my once almost silent home became very, very loud.
I can not say I despise technology; if it wasn't for television, I would not enjoy my soap operas or a good movie in the company of my family. But there are times when I wish Donatello would have never introduced technology to his brothers but as curious as my sons are… I believe that was bound to happen sooner or later.
Between Michelangelo's videogames and Raphael's music…, more like blenders and trash compactors with a screaming mad man in the middle,… I do not know which is worse.
Leonardo and Donatello are no better than his brothers.
Since Leonardo was given a guitar and let Donatello "upgrade" it, my afternoons are less than relaxing. I am not saying he is not good, in fact, he has mastered his instrument just like if it was one of his katas; I only wish he would have stayed with a normal guitar instead of an electric one.
Donatello's inventions are marvelous but the tools he uses are simply a torture to my sensible ears. He is aware of this and tries to be as quiet as possible but although his intentions are good, his tools tend to make this task impossible for him to accomplish.
But just like technology is not always against me, my boys are not always noisy.
Sometimes Michelangelo picks one of my favorite board games and plays with me and Leonardo; Raphael stops listening to his hellish music and chooses something more soothing for me to listen to and Donatello abandons his work to bake muffins and brownies always remembering to make an extra batch for me exclusively; we can worry about my cholesterol another day.
Moments like this, moments of peace, are the ones I cherish the most… and they also give me strength to endure the next day.
It's a good thing I got my trusty earplugs.
What.
Did you believe I survived through all this without a Plan B?
End of Journal entry N°11
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Master Splinter is not always zen and pacific, you know? He's a single father of 4 teens, for goodness sake!
Sorry for not updating "Hold my hand", guys. Honestly I never thought about writing a second part for it, it was meant to be a one-shot. Give me more time and I'll come up with something but for now, you'll have to wait.
Same goes to "Race Against Death"; still working on the plot for the two final chapters… and no, there will be no sequel. Once I'm done with that one, I'm not writing gore until I recover. My dark side needs rest.
Anyway, keep reviewing; I always read those even when I don't reply. Sorry, don't have much time for that lately.
Read you later!