You missed the cute -

[kyburg]

Yes, my husband was picked up by another man at the Skechers store in Norwalk last night.

Threw his arms around him, snuggled into his chest and wouldn't let go.

Okay, he was only 18 months old - but it was adorable.

And his godmother works with my husband, and he's already warned me he's going to get it next Sunday when they're on shift together. That little boy is the apple of her eye and my husband up and stole him away from her. Literally. She had to bribe him to get him back.

This is on thirty seconds of association, mind you. Not just pick me up, no. Pick me up and I fall asleep on you, sending you gazes of absolute adoration while I do it. Little finger walkings across your back as I put arms around you.

My husband has this effect on small children everywhere. I tell people this and they don't believe me until they see it. He can be in the car driving down the road, and we come to the light and there are kids in strollers waiting to cross the street? The sound's unmistakable - turn, look and wave - yes, they're checking you out, dear.

Everyone's Best Friend. Good thing he's not purple.

We stop screaming children in grocery stores. And at work? They give him all the kids for exams. (I still have that Pokemon scrub top to make for him. *gnaws fingernails*)

If Good Guy was a job title, he'd be first in line to apply - the only thing he ever wanted to be in life was Superman. Seriously. They tell you the kids know - somehow. I'd have to believe them.

You think I'm going to let this talent go to waste, you're nuts.

Oh, BTW? I get to give blood TWICE in one week! Yay girlness! *grumble*

Comments

[smilenfrown.livejournal.com]

Your future adoptive child(ren) are going to be SO fortunate to have you both as parents... =)

Heh

[turandot.livejournal.com]

My husband has a similar effect on children everywhere. I first noticed in 2001, when he was visiting me in Chicago for the summer, and we went to the Taste of Chicago (It's a huge festival right in the unofficial center of the city - Grant Park, the one with the famous Buckingham fountain). Every child we rant into under the age of 12 months in a stroller just seemed to be mesmerized by him, and would just track him and smile broadly at him. Heck, even just last week we visited friends who have a 3 month old, and I swear to god he was constantly staring at my husband most of the time I was able to see them both in the same room. I've jokingly dubbed it the "Santa effect" because: 6' 2" guy with broad shoulders and hearty laugh. He just stands out, kids or no kids.

We've since figured out while interacting with family friends' children that for some reason older toddlers (2+) aren't as attracted to him, but around the time they turn 4 they go back to digging him a great deal, probably because he has given piggyback rides with parental permission (I hear it's a nice view ;), and he's really good at teaching kids things they care about (our friend's 5 year old was recently in awe of him because he took the time to help her learn to use the wii-mote =P).

Anyway, from my child development class, small kids tend to like people whose facial features are easily mappable a lot more than people whose faces are angular or overly complex, and start making up general categories in their minds as early as 1-2 months. Something along the lines of: males have angular faces and also tend to be tall, women have more oval features, less facial lines, and tend to be shorter. Of course, if certain people do not conform to their stereotypes, an infant will focus on their face longer, i.e., their overall interest will be piqued. That went a ways in explaining the aforementioned baby attractiveness: my husband totally has a baby face (i.e, round, no sharp chin or nose, virtually no facial lines), which is pretty rare for such a tall man. From what I've seen from posted pics, Jim probably falls into the same category of man-oddity according to most small kids.