Oh You're Going!

What is common sense? Our kids had a birthday party to attend Saturday at 2pm. The invitation has been on the refrigerator all week. I begin getting the kids ready around noon. My husband comes in and asks, "What time are we leaving?" Of course I sarcastically respond, "Uh, how 'bout 4pm!" "But I thought the party started at 2?" he actually asked. I continue to comb our daughter's hair. He smacks his lips and goes back outside. Oh I knew what this was- Dude was trying to get out of going to the party. NOT TODAY!!!
Later around 1:15 pm while I am getting the second child dressed, I hear something outside. This dude is out there on the lawn mower cutting the yard. I stand in the door with my hand on my hips... foot tapping. He rides toward the front door, then scratches his forehead and makes a sharp left. Oh he saw me. He definitely saw me. I continue to get ready. A few minutes later I hear the mower stop. Now I hear him lallygagging with someone in the yard. I peek out and he and a friend are out burning something in the yard. Then I see our son running and chasing the smoke. "Wook mommy!" he says as I come out on the porch. Dude smiles at me and says ever so sweetly, "Honey, what time is it?" I feel half a peace sign coming on but I rebuke it. Dude knows that I will be on my best behavior with company there. "It's a quarter 'till." He and his friend walk toward me. I see his lips moving and his friend laughing. I speak. "Hey how are you?" Our son runs up coughing from the smoke. "Mommy we ready to go to Chuck-E-Cheese for the party?" Dude is fakingly startled. "Oh my God. That's right it is at 2 o'clock itn't it?" I don't say anything I just press my lips. He looks back at what's burning, which I see now is a bush. I then see him falling back into the bush. I snap out of it. I think that would be 72 hours and a record: NOT WORTH IT! This dude then explains that he, "cut the grass because he (pointing to friend) told me how to get rid of that onion grass. So now all I have to do is spray it." They both look at me. I couldn't say much because I did complain about it.... about two months ago when it was hot. But common sense should've told him not to take care of it today. "Oh good, good, good. You can spray it later now that it is cut, but we gotta get going to the party," I smile. Defeated, Dude thanks his friend for stopping by and goes in to get dressed. I knew we would be late but we usually are so the kids and I go wait in the car. I offer a nice gesture, "I'll drive." We pull out the garage and down the driveway and realize the bush is still burning. He gets out to take care of it and gets in smelling of smoke of course. He sits with his lips out. Hey if I gotta run behind two energetic kids and smile at a rat then so does he. We're in this thing [parenting] together. "What's coming that way?" I ask at the stop sign. He doesn't answer, he just reclines his seat back so I can see for myself. You know this dude had the nerve to be mad.