I’m definitely a spoiled father. I get to spend a ton of time with my kids – both because of my schedule and because I work from home so much.
Days like yesterday remind me of how lucky I am. I was at a client’s (or traveling there) all day – from 6:45am in the morning until and after 8:00pm at night. I basically saw my kids for about 45 minutes before leaving.
I did get a phone call from Charlotte telling me about her new ice skates. She’s very excited about skating, and Karen found a pair on Craig’s list. Fun phone call, but reminded me of what I was missing not being home. And I did call to say good night before bed time on my way home. But I was definitely suffering from withdrawal.
I had to make do with that limited contact and with Karen recounting parts of the day when I got home (‘mac & cheese’ served cold.)
Two of the highlights…
Snow angels
Apparently, Charlotte can’t get enough of sledding down the ‘hill’ in the side yard. She loves it. (Between sledding and ice skating, a potential future winter Olympian?) Luke, on the other hand, doesn’t even like to sit in the sled. But he did try his hand (or should I say arms) at snow angels. Except he refuses to put his arms all the way down in the snow. He’ll lie back in the snow and move his arms back and forth, slightly above the snow, with an excited grin on his face. Priceless.
Play-Doh
Charlotte and Luke got a Play-Doh food set for Christmas that they really enjoy. It includes a waffle maker, plates and utensils, and various and sundry other items. Sometimes, when Karen’s making dinner, she’ll set the kids up with the Play-Doh on the kitchen table.
The one problem with Play-Doh designed to look like food is that some kids (e.g, Luke) will inevitably try to eat it.
As she prepared dinner, Karen looked toward the table and saw Luke, cheeks bulging, chewing. She quickly made him spit it out (turned out to be bright green Play-Doh.) After telling him not to eat it, she explained that it was pretend, that he could pretend to eat it.
She then went on making dinner and, out of the corner of her, saw him bringing the Play-Doh right up to his mouth.
“Luke!”
His immediate response was to pause with the Play-Doh right at his mouth, almost touching his tongue, looking at Karen beseechingly with his puppy dog eyes and saying, “Tend… tend,” as if to indicate, “Mom, I’m just pretending,”
After this happened a couple more times…
“Luke!”
“Tend… tend…”
…Luke’s Play-Doh time was over. Charlotte tried to pitch in at one point. “Luke, this is how you pretend,” she said, holding the Play-Doh a safe distance from her mouth while making eating motions. But to no avail.
Needless to say, I was glad to be home with the kids today. There’s nothing like seeing the kids for just 45 minutes in a day to make you appreciate your time with them, even the pull-out-your hair moments. I gorged on the proverbial ‘mac & cheese’: we played numerous games of ‘dragon,’ went to story-time, rode ‘horses’ around the house, went to the library, and had brinner: waffles with whipped cream, blueberries, and maple syrup.
I better go, there was a mouse sighting in the kitchen and living room. Karen is poised with a plastic container over a plate with a half eaten apple on it near the last spot she saw the mouse. I guess mice like peanut butter and apples (and are blind.)
Through and through, a great day.
I hope you enjoyed today’s serving of ‘mac & cheese.’
