In the Afternoon--Coping Strategies

We all develop them for the most stressful situations. Sometimes we come up with them ourselves. Sometimes they're learned behaviors. In our house we have numerous strategies for the hours or days that Daddy is gone.

Strategy #1: Waiting by the front door. Variation #1A is "Waiting at the window". Every night we wait for Daddy. We spend a little time here even if he isn't coming home because he's out of town or working late. We count cars that go by, we look for cardinals, we talk about new plants that are growing, and sometimes J goes in the front yard to hide behind our tree and pop out with a very fun "peek-a-boo." I'm sure we look like gorillas behind the glass at the zoo to all of our neighbors.
Strategy #2: Climbing in and out of the kitchen cupbards. This was tonight's activity. J and A love this game, and E usually ends up closing their fingers in the door at least once.
Strategy #3: "Talking" on the phone. Usually we pretend to talk to Daddy. His is the voice that they recognize most easily on the phone. E loves this--"Hi, Daddy," he repeats over and over. A thinks she owns the phone once we start this game--she's pretty good at rambling.
Strategy #4: Silly games that involve large motor movement. J is way too old to do the pretend phone conversation, so he has developed advances uses for his wiffle bat that usually involve stuffed animals. Yes, this strategy is a dangerous one, but somehow he manages to get the twins giggling, so I try to hold my tongue.
Strategy #5: Photo documentation of the aforementioned strategies.

We miss you, Daniel! Come home soon.