The BEST Surprise

Last week, we got the best news that we have had in awhile: Daddy was coming home for a couple of days!!

I intentionally didn't tell the kids. After all, as a miltary spouse, or MilSpouse, I know all-too-well how plans can change in the blink of an eye. I could not imagine the disappoinment that would reflect in my kids' eyes if I told them that Daddy was coming home, and then things changed. Honestly, after his being gone for seven weeks, THAT would be too much to handle. Crazy days, got it. Kids screaming for what seem like hours on end... got that, too. But disappoinment...nope, that was unacceptable.

Wednesday was a blur. We woke up, and I kept the kids busy with playing, activities, and fun shows to watch on TV. I cleaned. A lot. I didn't want Daddy to come home to a dirty house (not that my house is dirty, but I am kind-of a perfectionist when it comes to arriving home to a clean house. I try to extend the "clean house" courtesy to Daddy). The afternoon consisted of a play date, and then I taught the Sunset Stroller Strides class in Hermosa. The kids played at the park for a bit, and then I fed them dinner. Then it was just a waiting game.

After a bit of a delay, I was thrilled to hear the good news: he LANDED! He was on our sweet, but slightly polluted with LA smog, SOIL! YES!! I don't know how I didn't completely blow the surprise with my sheer elation, but somehow I didn't. I piled the kids in the truck, and off we went to LAX. Daddy called and told me that he was waiting as passenger pickup before I drove from the house- perfect timing!

...and wouldn't you know it? As we drove to the airport, Dani softly said "Daddy? Home?"

My response: "I don't knoooowwww....."

The kids saw him before I did. "DADDY!!!" they shreiked. I could not wait to give him a homecoming hug and kiss; but alas, I was driving and needed to steer the car away from crazy Wednesday night pickup traffic at the airport. I am pretty sure that there may have been other celebrities at the airport that night; but in our eyes, DADDY was the rockstar.

The three full days that Daddy was home went by in a total blur. He had to work one of them, but that was worth it. We were just so happy to have him home. Surprisingly, Will even seemed to have a positive reaction: he slept through the night for the FIRST TIME since Daddy left seven weeks ago. Seriously. Maybe he felt me relax a bit, allowing him to sleep more? I don't know.

We dropped Daddy off at LAX this morning. It wasn't fun. The kids had a rough day today, clearly missing his sweet presence again. I was asked before he arrived for this trip whether I would want to handle the fallout of the kids missing him again. My answer: ABSOLUTELY! The rough day is a worthy price to pay for three wonderful days as a family again.