The cats in the cradle...

Yesterday I uploaded some pictures with my camera and I realized I forgot to share about Harm's and Chris' experience seeing Thomas the Train live on stage. Harmon is truly obsessed with anything Thomas the Train so for his little 3 year old brain this was a bigger life experience than learning to drive, graduating college, or perhaps becoming president. Anyway, being the over worked busy mom I am when I have down time going to see Thomas Live wasn't on the top of my list so I did what any smart mom would do: dub it Daddy/Son Day and send them away.

It was great. Not only did I not have to sit through a Thomas Musical but it meant so much to Chris. He loved seeing how happy Harmon was and for that it was worth seeing Sir Topham Hat sing an aria about a bridge. He always worries that he will be like that cheesy song: Cat in the Cradle.

My child arrived just the other day

He came to the world in the usual way

But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay

He learned to walk while I was away

And he was talking before I knew it and as he grew

He said, "I’m gonna be like you, Dad,

You know I’m gonna be like you"

And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon

Little boy blue and the man in the moon

When you comin home, dad, I don’t know when,

But we'll get together then, Son,

You know we'll have a good time then.

By the end of the song the dad is all alone and his grown son has no time for him. I think both of us worry about this to be honest. We both love working and learning and traveling etc. but we are very aware that those things we will have time for in the future. It is these precious moments of our children growing up that we will never get to later. Already they are not really babies anymore. It happened so fast. I know they will be in full time school before I know it and than asking for the car keys.

So for now we are really trying to focus on our children. We take the cheesy pictures and go to the cheesy shows. We play bubbles in the back yard and we spend our Saturdays at a museum.

Earlier that day he had seen one of his best friends in college and he felt weird that he never that he never hangs out with the guys anymore (many of them stay up till 2 am playing games on a Friday night or spend Saturdays doing golf or boating). Later that day they saw Thomas and had a wonderful time. On the way home he heard that song and he asked me later if he thought we would be like the ending.

I’ve long since retired, my son's moved away

I called him up just the other day........

I said "I'd like to see you if you don’t mind"

He said "I'd love to Dad, if I could find the time.

You see my new jobs a hassle, and the kids have the flu.

But It's sure nice talking to you, Dad,

It's been sure nice talking to you........"

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me

He'd grown up just like me,

My boy was just like me..............

I told him no, b/c he was taking the time now to form that relationship. It is a sacrifice but the reward makes up so much more than the original sacrifice was.