May 17, 2001 - Thursday
I got home late today, not too soon before Harry started getting ready for bed, and he seemed particularly happy to see me. I'm pretty sure Harry is aware enough now to notice that I was missing dinner and perhaps that's what it was, although I'd like to think that maybe it's because he and I have had a particularly nice string of good days together lately - playing, reading, and learning new things - and he was just disappointed that his dad wasn't around. But, whatever the reason, tonight was one of those fabulous parental nights when Harry seemed genuinely happy to see me come home.

For the few minutes I spent with Harry before he went upstairs with his mother for a bath, we played together on the couch. He had his sponge letters with him and somehow the red letter "I" ended up in his mouth. I grabbed the other end with my teeth and we spent the next couple of minutes pulling at it like two dogs wrestling over a chew toy, laughing all the while.

When he was finally ready to get in the crib, I went in to say goodnight. I usually say goodnight before that to keep his bedtime ritual simple, but since I'd missed most of the evening I thought I would. As I sat down beside his mother and him, Harry forced himself away from his mother and walked over to me. At first we thought he wasn't tired and was going to be trouble, but then he grinned and came over to lie down on my chest for a song. The times I sing him to sleep are much fewer now. He doesn't really need it so much now and we've tried to get him to fall asleep on his own. But it sure his nice to know that he still likes it sometimes. As for his mother, I don't think she minded the snub. The reasons were pretty clear and there have certainly been plenty of times he's gone in the other direction.



Comments, opinions?