Surprise!

Considering J's occupation, I have no right to complain of long absences as we've been quite lucky to have had him home with us for the last few years.  Still, especially when coupled with a move to a foreign country, his presence has been sorely missed.  Truthfully, this is the first time the kiddos remember daddy being gone, and its impact has been far reaching.  

J surprised the kiddos by flying home for a holiday weekend.  Though I had managed to discover his covert operation, the kiddos were entirely in the dark.  The cover story for going to the airport was that Grandma Mary had lost a suitcase and needed us to look for it in Frankfurt.  Bop immediately began needling me saying things like, "But Mama, Nana has been gone for a while now.  Her suitcase wouldn't be here."  Oh the joys of a child reaching the age of enlightenment and rationalization.  

It was quite difficult to conceal my excitement as we walked the length of the terminal on our way to baggage claim; afterall, why should I appear to be galvanized by the search for missing luggage?  J spotted us first (we are hard to miss), and I ran to him throwing my arms around his neck thereby blocking his face.  The kiddos had no idea who their Mama was hugging and didn't immediately say or do anything.  When I moved aside, Bop's face froze in a stunned expression:  mouth gaping, eyes bulging.  The boys ran toward J each grabbing a leg and jumping up and down. Littlest simply asked, "Are you my daddy?" as though she couldn't fully trust what she was seeing.  For me, seeing J was like being a little girl at Christmas and opening a gift to find I'd been given exactly what I'd longed for all year.

The kiddos were jubilant and spent the whole of the weekend in close proximity to J showing him their schoolwork, playing with him, showering him with kisses and hugs, and saying 'Daddy, Daddy' hundreds of times.  While here, the kiddos and I took daddy to some of our favorite spots and generally stayed within an arm's reach of him.  

It was difficult to take him back to the airport.  Littlest told J that, "A month is a berry long time," while Log and Bop wanted to know why he had to leave again and when he would come live with us.  Matty, though excited to see J, wasn't particularly emotional when J left; I think Matty compartmentalizes the idea of being left behind.  Though J's visit was brief, it was the much needed morale boost to see us through the last month of separation.

Littlest laying one on Daddy