To the Moon and Back

Cael loves to read. He has many books, and he reads them alone and with us. We read to him each night before we put him to bed. Goodnight Moon is the last book we read, signaling to him that it is time to go to the crib, which he does with surprising consistency. Usually, Cael will crawl onto my lap to have me read to him, and Paul will just sit/lie there and listen supportively.

A couple of nights ago, I pulled out the book Guess How Much I Love You, one of the first children's books we had, thanks to my mom giving it to me years ago. This book contains the cute and touching story about a son rabbit trying to prove to his dad rabbit that he loves him more. They go back and forth until the end, when the son falls asleep and the dad gets the last words in: "I love you to the moon and back."

Paul has read this book to Cael since he was teeny tiny, and Cael never really paid much attention to it, as it lacks the bright colors and catchy rhymes of most of his other books. Well, this night was different. I've always felt that this was their book, Paul's and Cael's, father's and son's, because it demonstrates that bond between them. Thus, when I pulled it out to read, I handed it to Paul and told Cael to go read it with Dad. The pictures illustrate what happened next.

(Apologies for having to show Paul's white hairy stomach)