I've been absent for a few days in my blogging experience. We were moving in back home, battling some serious issues with Benjamin (now believed to have been a lactase deficiency causing abdominal cramping and constipation, plus painful gas), welcoming Daddy back, and getting ready to move back out to the lake for another week starting Saturday. I know, you don't have to pity me, we have a great life :) (well, except for poor Benjamin's last week ... you can pity him). At any rate, the kids have been showing Daddy some love these past few days. It was clear that they missed him (each in their own way). Since he's been back, he's had a few good moments with each. Kayleigh's I couldn't capture on film, but in words. We were at the grocery store today for some Mommy/Kayleigh time (while Ben and Dad were at home bonding over soy formula); she was insisting on helping me with the bottle return. She is so accustomed to hearing me say, "Would you like to help me?" That she often simply says, "Help me! Help me! Help me!!" when she wants to contribute. (We're working on correcting her use of pronouns as she also points to pictures of herself and says, "You..." :)) At any rate, I let her stuff some of the bottles into the machine and she was hooked. She did all of the bottle returns by herself. As a reward, I went to look for the Honey Maid S'Mores cookies we had at Grammy's last week. We put them in the cart and after hugging them to herself for several minutes, her face softened and she said, "Home ... share Daddy?" We are working on sharing (usually with the kitty, Benjamin or Ryan), and she clearly wanted to practice. She loves her Daddy and wanted him to have her favorite cookies too ... I love my tenderhearted girl.
Benjamin can't show his love for daddy quite as readily, but his smiles returned with a vengeance yesterday. He was especially excited when he heard his daddy's voice. He giggled, cooed, and laughed ... He clearly loves his daddy, even if he doesn't quite know who or what a daddy is.
And Mommy, well, Mommy is glad for the help from Daddy too! But mostly, I get no greater joy than watching my children love their father. It's not everyday that you see a grown man turn into goo for his kids, but Steve's pretty good at that. And his children repay him with their affection!
We're glad you're home, Daddy, and looking forward to our vacation together next week (with a hopefully, happy baby Benny)!