I get the impression...
From the way the daycare workers go out of their way and give me and my boys special treatment...
Because my unit doesn't have a unified policy to handle my situation...
Is a military father being involved in the lives of his children after divorce this rare? I can't imagine not having the relationship with my sons that I now have, and I wouldn't give it up unless I was forced, I became convinced it wasn't good for them, or they became old enough to choose otherwise... and any of those three situations would tear me apart.
Guys who aren't involved with their kids don't know what they're missing... I know what I'm missing, though. I'm not the primary custodial parent, so I get the weekends and summer (the "fun times" as the mediator reminded me when I pushed for more time with them; I immediately offered to swap with my wife so that she could have the "fun time" and I could take care of them the other 2/3. She of course refused) which is great, really, but I miss out. I'm jealous of Texas Wahine because she gets to be there for her boys in Scouting; I know she wishes that her husband was home to do it just like I wish I was around my sons to do it for them.
Any sort of scheduling with the boys is complicated for me, because of my job, because I'm not used to taking them into account. I think I could be a better parent if I were doing it full time. I get unused to taking care of them in the 12 days between our usual visits so it seems more of a burden than it is, but I just keep in mind how important they are to me and how important I hope I am to them.
They're my little monkeys. I feel like I'm an oddity to people who see me with them, without their mother around. But I'll take that, I guess, because I'm with them and I'm enjoying my "Daddy time."