Home Sweet Home

We were able to spend a few weeks at my parents house recently. It was fun to bask in the warm California sun, visit the park without a coat, eat yummy food, and see my family, but there were a few things that I could have done without. Well really just one- the adjustment period between time with Grammy and Poppy and life at home with just Mommy (Daddy has to got to work and earn money). My siblings were there too and to say Michael adores them would be the understatement of 2013. He loves "O Muggle", "EMMY!", and "Bardy?", loves them, and I think the feeling is mutual (at least for the most part). He loves to watch them, talk to them, and boss them around. On more than one occasion I saw him go up to one of my giant brothers, hold out his little hand and demand "Walk!", they generally complied, they were wrapped around his tiny sticky fingers. He had them building him houses out of blocks, reading him stories, getting him treats, and his favorite- stalling bedtime. The first week we were there Michael had a very rough time sleeping, the combination between the change in time zones, the noises because everyone was up not being quiet (volume control is something we have yet to master), and the strange environment was too much... add in that every time he cried, made a peep, or talked either my dad (Poppy!), O Muggle, or Bardy came rushing to him, well he didnt sleep much. My brothers would constantly come in and say things like "Why's that baby crying?", "He's so sad", "I have to help him", or "He just needed some candy". By the end of our two weeks there he was a bit spoiled. He had at least one adult to entertain him every waking hour, but when we got on the airplane and headed home things changed. Now he just has Mommy, and while Mommy does love to play sometimes she has other things to do in addition to playing. The first day he was angry, the second day he was bored, but by now he is fine. Back to his old self, he can play independently, and has become less demanding (Mommy doesnt give in as quickly as the uncles), but the one thing that has lingered is that more than once a day he points to my computer and says "O Muggle Computer!", "Emmy Computer!" and down the line. He misses them, a lot.

While I dont love the transition from vacation to real life I do love that he can point to a picture of them and identify each member of the family by name, I like that he remembers them and loves to talk to them, I like that he is excited to see them even if it is just online. If having that relationship with them means the first few days home are rough... I'll take it, though I do wish we could just say good-bye to them one at a time, you know slowly that way by the time they are all gone he is over it.