I didn't want to get called out for posting blog-spam, so I made a self post. If you want you can read the whole rant on the site here, but I've reproduced it below to avoid any controversy:

I’m going to stand up on my soap box for a little bit because, honestly, this needs to be said:

I feel sorry for my ex wife.

Let me explain.

Last July I found myself with copious amounts of free time. By “copious free time” I mean “I was let go from my job and have been looking like a fiend for another one”. It’s an odd distinction but I feel that it needs to be made. I decided that since I wasn’t doing anything else I’d start to make myself more available to my children and if you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know that it hasn’t always gone well.

I used to think that I was doing something wrong because it made her mad, but the more I talked about it the more I realized that it wasn’t a bad thing to be involved in my children’s lives and I was letting myself be bullied into staying the hell away.

Anyway.

Yesterday was the first day of school and I was there to see my boys to their classroom. On the way out I asked the principal if he needed any help directing traffic (or what have you) as I didn’t have anything else to do at 7:30 in the morning except drink coffee. They told me they’d be glad to have my help, minor as it was (my words, no theirs) and to show up the next day (today) at 7:15 in the morning to get started.

It went well enough. People were a bit confused at seeing me in an orange vest essentially waving and offering the occasional direction to use the crosswalk to the younger students but the day went well. I was thanked for my help and had just enough time to give my youngest a hug before telling him to have a good day. I would have done the same for my oldest son but the door to the classroom was closed and I didn’t want to disrupt the class just to say good-bye-and-have-a-good-day. I left a message to be delivered to his teacher (and then him) with the office staff, who were more than happy to do so and pleased that I didn’t cause an issue.

Those last two sentences are important.

Fast forward to tonight; I hadn’t been able to attend my oldest son’s practices because of other obligations (I still don’t know where my youngest is having football practice; three of the four flag football leagues in the area haven’t returned my calls) but I made it a point to be at this one and he was all smiles the moment he realized I was there. The practice went swimmingly and I can tell that he’s been putting in the effort from the crispness of his moves and the look of concentration on his face. That boy is gonna go far if he puts his mind to it.

The practice ended and I went out to give my youngest son a kiss. Neither my sons’ mother nor their step-father attend practices anymore; they just drop them off and go so they don’t have to corral an energetic five year old and his younger (but bigger) step-brother. My youngest asked me if I was going on his field trip and I told him that I wasn’t, but I’d be out helping with traffic and would make sure that I came in at the end to tell him to have a good day. Then my ex-wife said something so outrageous I could only giggle (and this is a direct quote):

“So long as it’s not a distraction.”

Read it again. I’ll wait.

Remember those two sentences that I said were so important? I’ll put both statements here just so the comparison is easier:

I would have done the same for my oldest son but the door to the classroom was closed and I didn’t want to disrupt the class just to say good-bye-and-have-a-good-day. I left a message to be delivered to his teacher (and then him) with the office staff, who were more than happy to do so and pleased that I didn’t cause an issue.

And

“So long as it’s not a distraction.”

That’s when I realized I felt sorry for her and, after talking briefly with my lovely and intelligent girlfriend (who reads this… I could go for some brownie points. Heh) also came to the conclusion that I was a really angry person with much of the ire directed in her (my ex-wife’s) direction.

I’m serious; if I was a distraction you can be damned sure that the school system would tell me firmly that my services were no longer needed and that I wasn’t going to be volunteering in the classroom for the duration of their education. They are adults, professional teachers and faculty no less. Telling me to shove off would be an easier time for them than most kids find the process of picking their noses. They’d let me know if I was causing an issue instead of telling me that they’d love to have me back the following morning. They wouldn’t wait. They’d send me an email or give me a call and nip the problem right in the bud so they wouldn’t have to deal with me showing up only to send me away.

How sad and angry of a person do you need to be to make a petty comment like that? Where do you get off thinking that I’m only involved in my sons’ lives to disrupt them? Yes, there have been issues and you’ve always started your argument with “I don’t know if it’s because they don’t see you often enough or what…”. Well guess what? Now they’re seeing me more than they used to and they’re better for it. I can see that they’re happier that their father is involved in their lives and I’m happier because I’m not letting you push me around.

I know it’s incredibly passive-aggressive writing this here where you’ll probably never read it, but it’s not worth the fight that will most certainly occur when I tell you that the school appreciates that I’m there, that I’m participating and that I’m involved in my sons’ lives. My kids love it. I love it.

You seem to be the only one that can’t stand it and you show it to me by making petty and snide remarks like that.

I feel sorry for you.

I’ll step off my box now. Thank you for reading; it felt good to say.