DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Jack's House
HTML https://jackshouse.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Biographies
*****************************************************
#Post#: 518--------------------------------------------------
Tarpley Family
By: Jack Date: September 29, 2017, 5:06 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
My first post about them said
[quote]"His name is Samuel, and he's also a freshman. He's not
exactly a handsome kid, but he is pretty interesting looking.
He's not especially flamboyant, but he is a bit unusual.
Overall, I liked him.
Oh, his parents said they had to meet me before he could go into
Dallas with us. I was okay with that. They came over last night
(along with Samuel's - not Sam, never Sam - little brother) and
ended up staying for burgers and onion rings. (I can't believe
we're almost out of those onions... Better try to stock up).
I don't know how close Noah and Samuel are, since they don't
seem to have a lot in common, but Samuel's dad thanked me for
Noah stepping in a couple of times when Samuel was being picked
on.
That's the first I'd heard of it.
Anyway, Samuel showed up here about 20 minutes ago, looking very
spiffy in navy slacks, a pale yellow shirt, and paisley tie.
Noah looked at him and just shook his head."[/quote]
That was April 2012. Samuel was a pretty regular visitor around
here for a while. I want to say he wasn't here nearly as often
his senior year, but that can be a busy time for anyone. Of
course, that year, Ryan was working, and barely made it home,
which might have had something to do with it as well.
These days, Samuel is 20 and just started his junior year in
college. His little brother, Ethan, is 4.5 years younger. A
few years ago, I would have said that Ethan was mildly autistic.
His parents admitted he had a learning disability, but they
'didn't want to label him', so they didn't talk much about it.
Today, he seems to have grown out of much of it, though he's
still a year behind others of his age, and he's still very shy.
I really thought about whether to post this or not. The reason
I'm bringing it up now is that Mr. Tarpley called me last night.
He feels that, as much improvement as he's made the last few
years, Ethan isn't ready to stay the night by himself. With
Samuel off at school, Mr. T wanted to know if I'd watch him.
Mr. T informed me that he just really needed a day to get away.
He wasn't even sure what he was going to do or where he was
going to go, but he really needed out of the house.
You see, he and his wife separated over the summer - her
decision. It's gone pretty well, and he understands. While
he's not into comics, Mr. T does have some rather juvenile taste
(call me Mr. Kettle, if you like), and the two of them married
right out of college, nearly 30 years ago. I can understand how
she might have wanted something new. Mr. T not only admits
that, but also adds that he was devoted to his sons, and while
he loves her, he's afraid she might have been a bit jealous.
Anyway, I told him this was a good weekend, since we don't have
any major plans. I'll have the littles, adn we have the fall
carnival tomorrow, and tonight we're going to eat snacks and
finger food in the theater while watching Megamind... Nothing
big, but Ethan should be okay.
There was a long silence.
"Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"Can Ethan and I spend the night tomorrow night?"
#Post#: 519--------------------------------------------------
Re: Tarpley Family
By: David M. Katz Date: September 29, 2017, 5:56 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
These things happen and it is hard but it seems like they have
tried to remain friendly.
Thanks for the update.
Oh, I assume they are spending the night?
#Post#: 522--------------------------------------------------
Re: Tarpley Family
By: db105 Date: September 29, 2017, 7:08 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Jack link=topic=63.msg518#msg518 date=1506722784]
There was a long silence.
"Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"Can Ethan and I spend the night tomorrow night?"
[/quote]
;D
Why did you hesitate about posting about this?
#Post#: 526--------------------------------------------------
Re: Tarpley Family
By: Jack Date: September 30, 2017, 5:18 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=db105 link=topic=63.msg522#msg522 date=1506730127]
Why did you hesitate about posting about this?
[/quote]
His kids growing up, his wife leaving him ---- it's just sad.
[quote author=David M. Katz link=topic=63.msg519#msg519
date=1506725760]
Oh, I assume they are spending the night?[/quote]
No, since Mr. T was here, he didn't see the need in sleeping
over, so they headed back home. He's going to meet me this
morning to help get everything set up.
[hr]
Another reason I considered not sharing this is that it's really
not spanking related. After all, Ethan is 16 and has ever
really been spanked, and neither he nor Samuel are really close
to any of my boys as far as I know, though there are some
friendships there.
Which isn't to say there's no spanking in their history.
As I said before, Rod is a soft touch. His ex, Jean, handled
most of the discipline. When Samuel was younger, he got smacks.
From what I've heard and put together, he didn't receive
anything like what we'd consider a spanking until he was in
kindergarten - about the same age that I first spanked my
younger ones. The thing is, when Samuel was younger, he was
something of a little naturlist, so he was often smacked on his
bare bottom because that's how it already was. As he grew older
(4 and 5) the smacks went from a quick swat, to holding him in
place for a couple, and finally ended up with him over the lap,
so Rod really couldn't say when he got his first spanking,
because it was a gradual creep.
Where Rod tended to only spank when he was scared or really
worried, Jean sounds more like me - enforcing the specific
rules.
As I said, Samuel and Ethan are about 4 1/2 years apart. Before
he would have started kindergarten, they knew Ethan had some
special needs. He'd already started in a class to help him
adjust to some of his problems. When he was 5, he started a
special kindergarten class to help him socialize and learn to
get along in a group environment. Not long after that, Samuel
turned 10.
Samuel was really a quiet, well-behaved boy. He didn't get in
trouble like Barry/the twins/Bryce managed to. Still, he forgot
the rules, or just ignored them occasionally, or had a small
show of rebellion, and got his bottom sore. On the other hand,
knowing that Ethan had special needs, he was rarely smacked -
and that only when he did something truly dangerous. Rod has no
idea how it happened or to whom it occurred first, but when
Samuel was in sixth grade - 11 or 12 years old - it finally
occurred to someone that it wasn't really fair to him that he
got spankings where Ethan obviously wasn't. Of course, since
Samuel wasn't special needs, more was expected from him, and
they had some struggles in adapting, but his last spanking came
in the earliest days of my site or even before, so I just wasn't
sure about including them.
*****************************************************