He's Back...

No. Not Arnold, but Joe. After 5 long nights, he has returned. I let the kids stay up until he pulled in which was around 9:30. I even let our (his) one-year old Weimaraner puppy stay up. They were all thrilled to see him. I don't know which of us was more excited. Maisy (the dog) who couldn't stop wagging her tail and licking him, Millie who wanted to talk to him non-stop and do her twirly dance, Porter who wanted to tell him all about his recent air soft escapades, or me who just wanted to watch him with the dog and two kids. (Jonathan spent the night out last night.)
Yes, it had been a hard, long week for both of us. It was so good to have him back and see him return to our little world. This week teaches me one important lesson every year. It is simply this: Although there are times in parenting that I feel I can do a much better job than he can. I cannot, under any circumstances, do it without him. We are meant to do this together, learning from each other and trusting in ourselves.
Welcome Home Joe.