Dada?

When Mike goes out of town (or out of the country) for work, a few of us in the house get a bit upset. I try to be cheerful, but usually the day he leaves I am in kind of a funk. Paige (Daddy's girl) usually cries and cries. She sometimes cries for a half hour or so before she is consoled by a movie or television show or a treat. I do try talking with her and hugging her, but it only seems to make her despair worse. This time, Mike gave Paige money for us to go out for a donut on the way home from dropping him off. That worked once the donut was in her mouth. She still cried the 15 minutes to Starbucks (We love the Top Pot donuts sold there.). Jonah and Jack don't cry, but I can usually tell Jonah is missing him. Jonah will wonder if Daddy will be home for dinner or breakfast or if he'll be able to play "bats" with him soon.
In the past, Jack hasn't seemed upset or hasn't seemed to really even notice that Mike was gone. But this morning was different. Immediately when he woke up (in our bed, lying on top of my arm), he looked for Daddy. "Dada?" He hopped down off the bed and ran down the hall in the dark (It was 7am and I hadn't gotten the lights on yet.) calling "Dada! Dada"! He then ran into the dark kitchen, where Jack expected he would be, making lattes or breakfast, "Dada? Dada"? No Daddy. I told him that "Daddy went bye-bye. Daddy's in Brazil." Well, I don't think he really understood the "Brazil" part. He ran to couch, climbed up and started waving "bye-bye Dada"! out the window. He didn't see Mike, obviously, but this seemed to comfort him and answer his question of where "Dada" was. I just thought this was a sweet story. I hope you read this Mike. Your babies love you and miss you! Me too, of course!