Madeline is loving the fact that things are back to normal here. Papa is home, Mama is home....but more importantly, Papa is home!!!! Papa is, without a doubt, Madeline's hero. What a long way they've come.Living in the baby home in Astrakhan, Russia, Madeline got very little, if any, male influence for the first 20 months of her life as the care givers were all female. The day after our "Gotcha Day", it began to sink in for Madeline that these changes were permanent and she was "stuck" with us. Having Mama around was groovy, but who is that man? At that point, Madeline cried anytime David tried to go near her. She would cry if she looked at David, if David looked at her or even if I touched him or he touched me. Needless to say we had some very stressful times during those first few days as a family. Actually, most of that first summer was touch and go. Often times Madeline would wedge herself between me and the kitchen cupboards while I was making dinner so that she didn't have to deal with Papa.
Times have surely changed! Mama is still groovy, but no way near as nifty as Papa! Most every morning the first words out of Madeline's mouth are "Papa home?" When David comes home from work it is play time - Papa is all fun and games. And this weekend, Madeline asked for Papa to do the night-night routine with her instead of Mama. Without a doubt, David is her shining star. I can't compete with that. Mama lays down the law all day and Papa is fun and games when he is home (see video below - yes, she is in a flying shopping cart!). But I don't want to compete with that. I know that one day, Madeline's hormones will kick in and she'll be embarrassed by every move we make. I know that eventually, we will "know absolutely nothing" and be so totally uncool. I know that she will eventually dread being seen in public with us. Teenagers do that, unintentionally hurt their parents, and all too soon Madeline will be there. Hopefully these memories of being put on a pedestal will help David get through those dark teenage days. But in the meantime I hope the two of them continue to build that pedestal of David's higher and higher. It is in those memories that they are making now that will be the sweetest memories of Madeline's when she outgrows those hormonal, peer-centered teen years. And it will be in those memories that are being made now that will be the sweetest memories of Papa's (and Mama's) when we enter our golden years.
2 comments:
I guess talking to me gave you a view into the future. Yes, enjoy these days. My experience now is like yours, sometimes challenging but still very rewarding. It is just at a different level. Dad's are more fun but thankfully now Mike is in some ways tougher on them than me. We are united and determined to survive the teen years.
It's unfortunate that teens go through this phase. I guess it is their way of finding themselves and their independence. So true, Marysia, we are at similar stages only at opposite ends of the spectrum. I guess the teen years have more notority though because the "children" are older and wiser and know how to pull heart strings and press buttons a little better. If Madeline is anything like I was I am in for a bumpy road. Mom is probably up in Heaven laughing her butt off. But I take comfort in the fact that I grew from that phase and was very close with Mom. I anticipate this will occur with our children too.
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