I want my Daddy!

Sunday morning, we were excited to have Scott and Ashley as well as our friends Carlton and Patricia join us at church. Since they were with us and because Wesley was leading the communion thoughts, I thought it would be nice for Jackson to stay in the auditorium with us.

Thanks to some awesome sticker books that Ashley and Scott gave Jackson, he remained very calm throughout the beginning songs. As we finished singing and Wesley walked onto the stage, Jackson looked at me and then back at Da Da. You could see in his eyes "what's he doing?"

A true Daddy's boy, Jackson did not like the idea of Wesley being up on stage while he sat in the audience. As Wesley started speaking, Jackson turned to me and said "I want my Daddy!"

I had a split second to decide: do I try to calm him down in the auditorium, let him run up on stage with Wesley, or take him out. I decided to go for the first option - see if he would calm down. That decision was a good decision for all of two seconds as the "I want my Da Da" cries grew louder and louder.

We were seated near the front and as Wesley said, "I was watching Curious George with my son the other day," we began the journey out. The screaming was not lost on Wesley who in stride said, "Oh, there's my son now."

The crowd followed the cries across the auditorium and saw a teary eyed little boy longingly looking to the stage at his Daddy while his (slightly embarrassed) Mommy escorted him out.

We walked outside the building to calm down. As the tears dried up, we came back in right as Wesley's voice filled the front entry. He was beginning the prayer for the juice, and Jackson's cries picked up right where they had left off. Thankfully, we disturbed no one in the lobby but I quickly realized that nothing I was going to do would calm this sad little boy down. I walked over to the nursery and just handed him over. All I could hope for was a nursery distraction.

The nursery staff worked their charm and Jackson was good to go by the time we picked him up after service. I thought the incident would be long forgotten, but Monday morning as we were driving around town, Jackson commented from the back seat:

"Mommy, I don't want Da Da to go back on that stage again at church!"

Oh, those little minds that remember so much!

Though it was not enjoyable to have 400 pairs of eyes watching as I walked my little one out, I am so blessed that even as an early age, he has such a relationship with his Daddy that he doesn't want to be a part!