While I’d love to play with Theo as soon as I come home from work, he has other plans for us. No matter how full his belly is or how well rested he is, when I walk in the door he wants to snuggle and eat. And that’s it. So I sit on the sofa with his little body pressed against me for almost 2 hours until Nate gets home. Sometimes he wakes up or stops eating long enough to smile and coo at me. Sometimes I watch Property Ladder on TV with the volume down. And sometimes I can’t help but fall asleep, too.

I used to get antsy when Theo wanted me to serve as his bed and 24/7 snack bar simultaneously. Now I really look forward to this ritual. It’s our thing. And no one else can do it.

Theo doesn’t want to play till his dada comes home. Then the boys have their thing. There are raspberries given and received. There are kisses and songs and giggles. Then we all go upstairs. I sit in the green chair while Nate changes Theo into his PJs. When Nate’s done, he holds Theo out toward me. Theo smile wide and shakes his arms and legs wildly. That’s our family thing.