Holiday Week

I sat on our front porch with D1 last night, drinking "Daddy Tea" and enjoying the light of a full moon shining from behind some clouds. D1 is still dealing with some heartache from the end of a 2 year relationship. I understand. A 2 year relationship to someone who is in their early 20s is like a 20 year marriage to old farts like me and my generation.

We reflected on this week --T Day week. Her birthday is coming up on Saturday. 22 years! Caramba. I feel like Rip Van Winkle --I took a nap one afternoon in the late 80s, while my toddler slept in the Pack N Play next to me, and I woke up and she's in graduate school.

D2 is due home this afternoon. She leaves with our third daughter from another mother Andrea around 11. I'll inhale deeply, since I have to hold my breath for the entire 5.5 hour trip down the Turnpike, and hopefully I'll get to exhale with her arrival around dinner time.

Ah --to have Villa Wifey alive again, with the giggling and chatting of our Ds...

Wednesday we'll go visit ancient Grandma. I called her last night, and started to tell her I was coming, and she launched into her internal dialogue designed to cover the fact that she can't hear on the phone. "Is Wifey OK, David?" "No Mom --she's dead." "Oh, that's good..."

I think she gets that we're coming up to see her pre T Day.

Thursday we'll head over to a hotel for brunch. Last year we did that --just the 4 of us plus the now ex D1 boyfriend, and realized we truly love the holiday most when it's simple like that.

When I tell folks we're having a brunch with just the nuclear family, they all look wistful... They quickly invite me to have us join THEIR large, extende groups, and I politely decline...

Friday my partner Paul is hosting a birthday party for his girlfriend on Miami Beach. Somehow, it's now also a party for D1 as well... He's rented out a room on the ocean on South Beach. I'm sure we'll all end up having a great time, after 2 or 3 $25 martinis...

Elizabeth is due here tonight, as well. She has T Day with HER sister and parents, but opts to stay with us. I look forward to catching up with her and her tales of grad school while working while being, um, no longer 25. She's exhausted, but does it somehow --with a 4.0 GPA.

Sat am D2 will accompany me to the last Canes game. They play at noon, so our tailgate with be breakfast.

D2 really loves me. She ABHORS waking up early when she doesn't have to , and yet is agreeing to do so on her vacation Saturday to come with the old Dad to the game.

Time passages, as Al Stewart sang. Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight.