The Devil is in the Details

My little men and the Big Man have been at sleep away camp. The following conversation transpired before they left.

Me: I will miss you every day!
Noah: I will miss you too.
Aidan: Mommy, sometimes when I'm away from you, I forget about you.

I paused to put on my big girl panties knowing that I don't want him to miss me really. I want him to have an absolutely amazing time and be happy to see me when he comes home. I want them all to charge confidently into the world knowing that I will always miss them when they are gone and will love them extra when they come home.

However I still thought we needed to clarify the point.

Me: Aidan, maybe you just don't miss me, not forget about me.

Aidan regards this twist and assures me that he does think that he forgets about me.

I have to make one last pass. I give him the idea that it is also possible to just forget to miss me. He says, "yes, that's it". And we can both live with that.

Now, however, it is out there. So I needled Scott with it today. "Do they miss me?" I ask, with my tongue firmly in my cheek. He responded that he wasn't even sure that they knew he was there.

Well good. At least we are even.

Tonight I went down to hear them all sing. Aidan ran across the hall, around Gramma and straight into my arms.

He missed me