Thursday, February 18, 2010

Crocodile Tears

As always - The Cast of Characters

Me (The Daddy)

The Bean: Age 8
The Butterfly: Age 6
The Darling Wife


The Stay-At-Home-Dad is about to be employed.  This is generally a good thing.  The DW thinks so anyway.

However, this SAHD has grown accustomed to spending a lot of time with The Bean and The Butterfly.  I've been trying to spend extra time with them, knowing the clock is ticking on my one on one time with them.


Two years ago, I accepted an assignment in Australia.  I was away from home for six months, and with the 13 hour time difference, our contact was pretty sporadic.  The Bean asked The DW if Daddy was dead.


When I returned, I took some time off.  I wrote a few children's books and finished that novel which was stored in a computer folder called 'Unfinished Opuses'.  

Oh, and I started a blog.  But you probably already knew that.

This new job will send me on the road again, but thankfully, not for six months at a time.


I'm rejoining the workforce as a "Road Warrior".  That means every Sunday, I'll fly to Boston and return every Thursday.


The Butterfly doesn't quite comprehend this.  She thinks I'm going away again.


I soothe her the best I can.  I tell her it won't be like before.  I point to a map so she can see that Massachusetts is much closer than Australia.  I explain that she'll see me every weekend.  This calms her down.  


A little.


A bribe is in order.  "Now that Daddy has a job," I say, "I can take you to the Disney store."


She sniffs and decides that this is probably all right.  


"I'll miss you Daddy," she sniffs.


Not as much as I'll miss you.  Thank God for Skype.

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