Dad returns from Afghanistan, surprises son at day care

Thursday wasn’t  just another day at Custom Kids Daycare and Preschool for 3-year-old Jacob Tylar.

At 3:45 p.m., while Jacob was playing with toy cars on the carpet, a man walked through the door. After a brief second, Jacob knew it was his dad, whom he hadn’t seen in about three months.

The cars hit the floor as Jacob jumped from his seat on the carpet.

“Daddy,” Jacob yelled, running across the building.

Jacob’s dad, Kevin, scooped him up, and from then on, Jacob’s arms were wrapped around his daddy’s neck.

Kevin, 34, returned Thursday from a three-month stint in Herat, Afghanistan. Kevin, an Army veteran, is a civilian international police adviser who trains and teaches an Afghan staff in weapons and firearms.

“It’s train the trainer,” Kevin said.

Kevin, a former sheriff’s deputy, was home for 20 days in July and a brief time in March.

Kevin’s wife, Teresa, said when Jacob asks about his dad, she tells him he is, “working far away.”

“He’ll see an airplane and say, “Is that my daddy?,” Teresa said.

They get to communicate with Kevin over the phone about three times a week, and sometimes they can talk with him on their web cam.

“Usually, the first few days Jacob is very clingy,” Teresa said.

Teresa wanted to surprise Jacob by having Kevin pick him up from daycare.

The Tylars oldest son Josh, 13, knew his dad was coming.

“It’s very hard to keep a secret from a teenager,” Teresa said.

Kevin will be at home with his family in Green Ridge for 26 days before going back to Afghanistan for another year.

“My big plan is to do nothing,” Kevin said.

The Tylars want to spend time with their family.

Jacob said he is ready to wrestle, something at which he always beats his dad.