Goodbye to Muncle Rick

Who is Muncle Rick? Muncle Rick is one of our closest and dearest friends and Allie's Godfather (no, not in that Italian mobster way - but in that really close relationship way). When Allie began to talk she could not say uncle - it was always "muncle" and so he became known as "Muncle Rick". Over the years Rick has truly become the best muncle to Allie - there is no one who can make her giggle like he can and to a mom, that is truly the most wonderful thing to watch. When you know that someone loves your child almost as much as you do and that he can make her laugh and giggle like nothing else - it is just heaven.

Anyways - we said goodbye - or see you later to Muncle Rick tonight as he is leaving his home of Scottsdale and heading to a new life with a wonderful new fiance and her kids in Cleveland, Ohio (we have never been and can't wait to visit!).

I have to say that as happy as I am for him, I am really sad he is leaving. Its not that we saw him every day, but it was enough to know he lived a few blocks away and he was just "here".

I didn't tell Allie he was moving, I just told her he was going on a trip (Rick does travel often with work and it wouldn't be at all unusual for him to be traveling for weeks at time) and he would be back soon - I said it would be too upsetting for her to know he was moving.

Ok - reality check - Allie is 5 and wouldn't really know what "moving" meant - truth be told, I can't handle the truth and its much easier if I say he is on a trip! :-)


I was almost like a child tonight- just as he was trying to say goodbye I would come up with a new stall tactic (wait - have you heard how well Allie can read? wait - Allie, don't you want to do your math homework with Muncle Rick? but wait - do you want to see Allie's gymnastics routine that you will miss on Thursday night because you will be gone? but wait - don't you want to do Allie's bedtime routine with her tonight? - but wait, but wait, but wait. . .). I think finally even I couldn't ignore the yawns that kept creeping out of Rick's mouth as the past few days of moving and packing were catching up with him.

I really tried to do everything I could to avoid saying goodbye and well, I did my best to avoid it. I gave him a big hug and told him to have a great trip and be safe and was thrilled to hear that he would probably be back in Phoenix before his wedding in June. It was then that Allie snuck out of her bedroom and yelled goodbye and giggled as she tried to run away from him. And when Muncle Rick picked her up to say goodbye - I saw exactly everything he felt for her in his eyes.

It was then that I was finally able to say goodbye and see you soon. . .I realized that that while he will be a few states away instead of a few blocks away, he will still aways be "Muncle Rick" - that will never change. . .