Anthology for weekendwritein

Challenge

                "Hey John, how are things going these days," Eddie asked from his chair at the bar.

"Same as always," John replied taking the seat next to his old friend.

Eddie took a sip of his beer then asked, "Wife and kids doing alright since you got laid off?"

"Oh yeah, they're doing fine. Janet took a job downtown which pays really well. Jake's in first grade so he's gone during the day and little Zeke loves running around the house in only his diaper," John replied while waving down the waitress so he could get his own beer.

"Must be nice," Eddie commented.

"What is?"

"Not having to get up to go to a job and deal with customers all day. You can watch TV all day and basically do whatever you want. No more worrying about money or bills. Must be nice," Eddie said.

"You don't have kids so how would you know if I have it easy?" John asked as his beer arrived.

"Can't be as rough as the customer complaint section of Walmart," Eddie chuckled into his beer.

John just looked at his old friend amazed at how little he knew of parenthood, "Jake's easy I'll give ya that." John took a swig of beer before continuing, "Zeke is where I'll put the stress of your job up against mine. After Jake leaves for school Zeke wakes up. Immediately you need to change is pull up otherwise he'll pee through it and all over the floor. Then it's breakfast time. After a few dozen no's to snack foods I can get him interested in eggs or a grilled cheese."

"Doesn't sound too terrible," Eddie laughed.

"I'm not even started. While the food is cooking he plays. When it's finally time to eat he doesn't want to because he's too busy playing or he's suddenly had a change of heart about what's on the menu. If I'm really lucky he'll eat it and if not I've begun hoping he'll just ignore it and whine about something else. On a typical day, his food will end up on the floor and smeared over several toys he was just playing with.

If breakfast doesn't immediately require a bath then he's due for another diaper change and its one you can smell across the living room. There's no sitting down afterwards because to him it is now playtime. For the next two hours you are a play thing that is more fun than anything in his toy box.

After playtime its lunch and that goes about as smoothly as breakfast. Then there's the dreaded nap time," John looks Eddie in the eye, "You want a challenge? Try putting a two year old down for a nap before they really want to. When he wakes up it starts all over again but with Jake back from school. And this is seven days a week. I'd gladly go back to work. I honestly don't see how single mothers do it."

Eddie gulped his beer and quickly changed the subject, "So how about them Patriots?"