I was laying on the bed last night, snuggling the Bug, watching Pooh's Heffalump Halloween movie (his current favorite title), when ..
.. out of the blue, he turns around, looks me in the eye and says (with a big smile and a sparkle in his eyes), "I *like* you, dada.
Totally unexpected. Caught me completely off-guard. I felt disabled for 5 or 6 seconds .. like a fish flopping on the deck. Couldn't even talk.
The inflection in his voice conveyed a genuine enthusiasm. His words went deep, penetrating.
He'd already ate dinner and had his bath. So we were just chillin' .. winding down, spending time being close. (Good snuggler, he is.)
I still don't entirely understand my reaction. Maybe my defenses were down (being late in the day), and that's why his comment had such an unusual effect.
••• today's entry continues below •••
Whatever the reason, that feeling lingers today. I can still hear those words, and see that sparkle in his eyes.
Seems weird a 3-year old can have such an effect on me. Last time something like that happened was in second grade, when a girl gave me my first kiss.
"Well, I like you, too," I finally said, giving him a big hug.
