home again home again

Despite my hopes that he'd sleep late this morning, he popped awake before 7. We certainly had a good time on our vacation. And tonight we learned one of those important tenets of child-rearing. A funeral is no place for a toddler, and since we knew this, we thought we'd go to the viewing instead. David's uncle's mother passed away (she was not actually related to him, but we went to show support for Uncle Steve) and the viewing was tonight up in Sumiton, Alabama. Dennis nearly went bonkers having to endure another long car ride after riding all the way back from the beach yesterday, and he enjoyed a rather incredible supper at the barbecue joint up there, but when we got to the funeral home it was like we'd released a Tasmanian devil. He was everywhere in seconds, greeting his relatives, giving Uncle Steve a big hug, and running running running. He and I spent a good chunk of our time up there closeted in the funeral home's snack room, watching episodes of Thomas the Train and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on my laptop. Periodically, someone would ask to see him and we'd make the walk back to the chapel, where he'd greet and hug and run and giggle, and pretty soon we'd be back in isolation. I suppose he was as good as he could be--no big huge tantrums or anything--but it was a relief to him when we loaded back up in the car to head home. Thanks to his Grandma for driving us and treating us to dinner and for being ever so patient with his two-year-old antics!