Grief Counseling

The lumberjack came home yesterday afternoon as promised.

It was a nice intermission in his 9 day hunting trip.

I, for one, really needed the help.

The children are sickly.

I was out of chocolate raspberry creamer.

The diaper supply was running low.

The milk supply was running low.

My patience was running low.

Then again, I am always running low on those things.

 But I got to go to Walmart all by myself.

The lumberjack helped with the girls' homework.

He cut the boys' hair.

He stacked more firewood on the porch.

He vaccuumed.

He made coffee this morning.

I knew there was a reason why I kept this guy around!

He's fantabulous!

Although, he could just be experiencing "hunting guilt."

And I am completely comfortable with taking advantage of that.

Ain't nothing wrong with that.

9 days.

Ha!

I'd like to see him be a stay at home dad all by his lonesome for 9 days.

And let's go ahead and add fevers to the mix.

So, yes, I am in favor of taking advantage of said guilt.

I even got him to help me dust the blinds before he left again.

He did, make one mistake however.

He left before naptime.

I tell ya, if these kids can't break his hunting drive, I don't know what can?

Clearly, the need to kill large game has completely shut down all normal, human emotions in this man.

Oh, the agony.

Oh, the sorrow.

Oh, the snot.

  My girl could not bear to see her brother in pain.

She quickly grabbed a family photo so her brother could see his long-lost father.

Remember this girl from the lumberjack's original departure?

Well, clearly she is now an experienced pro at this goodbye stuff.

She understands little dude's grief.

She empathizes with his pain.

And she's using her past experiences to help him through his grief.

He's not having it.

So we had to call dad on the phone.

And discuss trucks.

And hunting.

And deer.

And elk.

And trucks.

And once he got that manly man truck talk out of the way he felt better.

He said,

"Mommy, hold you."

Which means that he would like me to hug him.

He sucked in his snot.

Said goodnight to his sisters.

And went to sleep.

I love this kid.