Post from the home front

When we dropped off Liberty and Kaila at the airport, everyone in he car was sad.  We picked up McDonalds ice cream to feel better.  (Of course it only made me feel fatter).  Halle didn't want any ice cream because it was way past her bedtime, wasn't feeling well because it was late, and because she lost her mom for a significant period of time. She is very close to Liberty so this is hard for her.

Samuel went a little nuts on the sundae:

We got home and got ready for bed.  Daniel seemed fine at this point.  At 1am, all hell broke loose.  Daniel woke up and realized his mama was missing from the planet!  At least his planet, that is...  I could not get him back to sleep in his bed so I brought him to my bed.  I'm sure Halle appreciated it because she was 5 feet from my bed, sleeping on the couch in my room.  For the next two hours, Daniel cried and screamed for his mama. Yes, it was generally in my ear because he needed to lay on my shoulder, with my arm wrapped around him.

My natural, fatherly role was to put an end to the crying with direct instructions, demands I should say.  However, I had to remind myself every time he screamed that he lost his favorite anchor, his mom.  Overall, I did well: I told him I understood, hugged him, and rubbed his back and tummy.  He finally went to sleep.  Thank goodness I didn't have to go into work the next day, although I did have a telephonic interview at noon.

Here he is the next morning:

On Friday, I was prepared.  I gave Daniel a picture of him and his mama and talked about how she was picking up baby Luke and coming back....she always comes back.  He received a picture of Luke and one of the whole family.  They reside on the table in his spot and a second set on the wall by his big boy bed.  After that crazy night, everything has been a breeze.  No more night screaming.  No freaking out.  Just family fun and work. 

Best buds:

Daniel has his pictures beside his bed:

His pictures at the table:

Daniel "smiling"

We built a fort out of boxes:

~update from Chad