All this talk about family reunions, get-togethers, kids going back to school...it's got me feeling really homesick tonight. I find myself anxious for the weekend to arrive and with it my dad and (hopefully) my in-laws as well. I usually do pretty well with the fact that I live far away from "home." Illinois makes the fifth state I've lived in and for a majority of the past 12 years, I've lived in another state from the rest of my family. Nights like tonight are hard, though. I sit around and wish I was Caleb's age again. The worst thing I had to worry about was making sure to remember to do my math homework so I wouldn't get detention and trying to practice enough that my mean old bitty of a piano teacher wouldn't yell at me. Piano lessons were Tuesday afternoons. My dad would come home from work, scoop me up and take me to her house. Because my dad was "in charge," (my mom had to work)...the piano teacher was almost never paid on time. Not that my dad was/is a deadbeat - he's not. But he's forgetful and he never remembered to grab the checkbook. I'd tell her that I didn't have a check and she'd tell me to remind my dad. When he was about three weeks behind, she'd write a note on the piece of music that I was supposed to be practicing for that week which said, "We owe $15 for piano lessons." My mom would see it and get on my dad to pay her.

And every summer Saturday was race night. My dad and Matt would go off to watch the races together and the whole night belonged to my mom and I. They'd leave about six and I'd have the house to myself until eight, when my mom got home from working her 12 hour shift at the hospital. If she was really tired, she'd stop off and get me something to eat on her way home. A roast beef or a salad from Hardee's, usually - and we'd stay in and watch tv or rent a movie. If she wasn't too tired, we'd go to Jerry's for pizza or to the mall for maid-rites and fries - and go shopping or take a ride with the windows down.

That seems like a long time ago now. Still, it'll be nice to see my dad this weekend. And hopefully Mike's parents too!