We said goodbye to the kids this afternoon, which they viewed as an interruption to their card game with the cousins. I had been pretty vague with them about our plans to prevent anyone from worrying about anything in advance. But they knew they were going to get to sleep in the RV with Grandmom and Grandad for a few days. So this morning when I said, “Daddy and I are driving back to Colorado today and you’ll be with Grandmom and Grandad. We’ll see you in a few days” I guess I was excepting some sadness on Jack’s part. Luke cheered. Jack was happy. I thought, “He doesn’t get it. I can either keep explaining to him until he realizes how much he is going to miss me, or else, stop talking about it and let him be oblivious, and then he can freak out later, after I leave.” Of course I chose option B and resigned myself to the guilt of not fully explaining the situation.

And then one of those rare lightbulbs went off in my head. He got it, and he was going to be fine. And I could go on and on about how he was going to miss me, until he got upset, but he’d only be getting upset because that is what I was expecting him to do.

Thank you, lightbulb!

And now to enjoy a few kidless days, which we kick off with a 15 hour road trip home.