Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Missing

This morning I stepped out onto the patio before waking up Ladybug for school.  Jed left for some lucky place in Georgia early this morning and it was particularly quiet for seven am around here.  I even left the dogs in their bed (and my bed) while I snapped this shot of the backyard.  

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Fast-forward ten minutes and I’m looking for a lost cowgirl boot, pouring milk over cereal and begging Ladybug to let me braid her hair while she turns her nose up at a vitamin shaped like Dino the dinosaur.  Boone rubs his neck in some stinky backyard stuff and Sam is on repeat “taw, taw, taw”.  He wants a straw for the milk in his cereal bowl.  And then he asks for Daddy and things start to get a little sad. 

He’s been to the front door and back to the bedroom a dozen times already.  Looking in the closet and pulling back the comforter.  Breaking my heart with every “no daddy”.

How do you explain “tomorrow” to a toddler?

11 comments:

MaryAnne said...

Awesome picture!

Johnny was in tears this morning because he slept through Mike leaving for work. At least he's not out of town (this time).

Anonymous said...

Awww. I try to teach my first graders about time and weeks and months, etc., and it's so hard. When they're that little like your toddler? No idea!

Anonymous said...

P.S. I think you may have buried the lead, here. He uses a straw to drink from his cereal bowl? :)

Stephanie Meade Gresham said...

MaryAnne- He's travelling much less for work now than he was with his previous position in the company, but there are those occasional trips that make me miss him. It's his fault for being such a great hands-on daddy. I'm spoiled.

Leslie- Well it sounds a bit fancy, but after witnessing the deluge of cinna-milk a few times, we decided it was more efficient and much less of a mess with a straw. Maybe I should get one of those bowls with the straws inside? Oooh. Targetttttt!

Logical Libby said...

Yeah, Meg doesn't get the "tomorrow" thing either. When he's gone every slammed car door is "Daddy."

Becky said...

Wow! That is an amazing picture!

erin said...

Aw! Lovely photo.

Elijah is super attached to his 'Poppa' which is our house's version of 'Daddy'. It's sad sometimes but other times it's nice to have him all to myself.

Norm Hayess said...

Could you post a bigger version so I cam make it my desktop wallpaper?? Love it. Might print one off to hang on my fridge. You have an eye for this stuff.

Title Loans said...

With toddlers, use holidays in reference to time. It's the way I learned, especially since my mom traveled when I was littler. It will get easier, especially when you don't have to explain that they're never coming back.
-Ava

Stephanie Meade Gresham said...

if anyone's interested in looking at more photos you're welcome to visit my picasa site. just don't go around pretending my kids are your kids... (or my photos are your photos).

https://picasaweb.google.com/stephaniemgresham

Subhash said...
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