badges

dylan,

I have to wear a badge with my picture on it to work everyday. I keep it on a retracting badge reel so I can clip it to a belt loop where security personnel can see it and it can easily extend to the many sensors in the building.

You, of course, love to pull on it and to see it snap back into place when you let go.

I recently had to get a new badge because you had carried mine off to play with and I couldn't find it for three days. So now we each have one.

Yesterday morning I clipped your badge on the pocket of your Levi's jeans, the ones that Grandma G sent you. When I came home from work at the end of the day I found you still wearing the badge. Mommy said you would point to the badge, make the sign for "daddy" and say "dada".

We went to the shopping mall after dinner, you still wearing the badge. You're old enough now that, given the chance, you could wander off. I kinda liked having my name and picture attached to you, just in case.

dad