The Highest Form Of Flattery

My hubby came home tonight from a weekend golf trip, and a whole weekend of no daddy made Evan the ever-studious munchkin tonight. Everything that Daddy did, Evan repeated. Words, mutterings, laughs, Everything. Daddy could do no wrong. Even getting scolded for throwing a MatchBox car in the direction of the dog simply meant that the CAR must be the one that got him in trouble, not Daddy! Bad car!

So Evan sat and watched as Russ checked out the new paint job on the ceiling (finished as he was driving to Wisconsin), and tipped his head back and studied the ceiling, too. Daddy scratched a little drip of paint off the wall, Evan scratched the wall, too. But, oh the joy! when the tape measure appeared.

Evan loves numbers. Knows numbers. Counts out loud every chance he gets. But do you know how exciting numbers are when they come out of this little metal gadget on a bright yellow strip, AND THEN THEY GO BACK IN???? Oh. My. Goodness.

I sat, completely enamored, watching the most adorable kid on the planet copy his dad by measuring the dog, Daddy's feet, the carpet, his hand. Everything was met with a big smile and a very loudly announced number "SESEN!" No, that's not a typo. That's a seven in two year old speak. "NOYNE!" "TWOOO!" And the glee that followed the sucking of the tape back into the metal contraption was too much to take. You would have thought Elmo just appeared in his hands by the hysterics that ensued.

Of course, Daddy sat, completely enamored, having missed the last 72 hours of Evan's life, and just soaked it all up. I love the look on his face when I can actually read the love in it. And because Daddy brought Evan home a MatchBox car, Daddy was held in even higher regards than normal, and had been the center of two year old love and affection all night long. Mostly, that means he was slathered in "Daddy, Look this!" and "Daddy, See Car?", but it didn't matter. Daddy was in heaven because what better flattery than to have your son imitate you and present cool stuff to you after you've been gone for 3 days? When it was finally time for bed, Daddy even got a big hug and a kiss without argument and without fuss, and Evan walked up the stairs with one foot in front of the other. Just like Daddy does.