ORLANDO -- Two Orange County kids got a big surprise at school this week -- their dad, back from Iraq after a year.
Sgt. Pablo Otero surprised his son, Luis, and daughter, Christine, at Meadow Woods Elementary School Wednesday.
Otero noticed quite a few changes in his kids in the year he was away on duty.
"She's got new glasses. He's got new braces, grown a few inches," Otero said. "It is extremely tough to know that you're about 5,000 miles away, and they're growing up. Their lives are changing and, for you, life is going so slow, but I know that outside of Iraq, everything is moving so fast."
Otero said Luis and Christine had no idea about his surprise visit, but with tears in their eyes, it was easy to see how much they missed him.
"He was definitely surprised, and my daughter, obviously" Sgt. Otero said, with Christine clinging to his side. "She walked in, and she did not know that this was happening, and that I was here. So she was definitely surprised."
"I'm excited that he's happy, and that he's here today," Christine Otero said.
Although it was Dad who has been in a war zone for the last year, Sgt. Otero was quick to show his concern over a few cuts and scrapes his son got from falling.
With their father back, the Otero family said they are ready for some pick-me-ups, and they would not waste any time.
"Go to the movies or something today, and the theme parks over the weekend," Sgt. Otero said.
Otero said he will be stateside for the next two years, and is looking forward to having more time with his family.
He said no matter what President Barack Obama decides about the troops' presence in Iraq, it is important for people back home to show their support for the soldiers' sacrifices.
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