my husband the charmer

when my mind drifts an i recall the days rhythms, my husband without knowing it makes me smile from afar.

1. he spent over an hour trying to pick out a baby swing for mason. then returned with only two baby outfits for his dear stuie.

2. he voluntarily got his nails and hands dirty. first he selected the most perfect tomato plant carefully analyzing every type of tomato offered to select the most delicious plant. then, he came out to the garden with me and dug into our soil trying not to complain of my rudimentary tools. then he looked at me proudly, "i planted my first tomato." we have a garden together.

3. he went up and down the slide with hailey at the park. he held savannah in his lap with her bouncing and playing. over the past few weeks he has held mason when he was crying, walking and bouncing him until he settled and tending to him so corin could take a shower.

4. he spent hours (and i mean hours) trying to change the locks on the door, getting upset because it was dark out and difficult to see and he might be letting bugs in all because he was desperately trying to keep the women and baby inside safe, bug free, and protected.

i have always thought of bobby as a boy. i tease him when he works with tools or locks the house up at night for being a "man." last night as we sat on the couch, i looked at his face. so different now. the years since we met have set in without me realizing. he is not the same boy who would skip his classes to lay with me on rainy days. he is not the boy i kissed on the porch. he is not the boy who would ask to see me everyday with urgency as if i could not say no because he just had to see me-to talk. he is more. his boyish body has changed. his hair is longer. he takes care of the house. his heart is gentler. he serves without expecting a compliment, or to get approval, but because deep down he cares and wants to do something nice. he knows my every expression. he is an uncle. he is a husband. and somehow without me noticing, he has become a real "man."