Full House

Tomorrow we drive our daughter up to camp in Connecticut, where she will be a counselor assistant for two weeks, making a little pocket money before August runs out. She is in her room packing again, having done her laundry and put away everything just two nights ago. One of her friends, a young man my husband refers to as Young Master K., is keeping her company as she packs. Nice kid. He's one of my daughter's best friends from school. 

We've had a houseful this week. My cousin and her two daughters and another friend of ours were in New York from Maryland. In addition, my daughter and some of her friends went to the beach yesterday and a couple of the kids came home with her to hang out some more. One is sleeping over. People are resting their heads everywhere, on the bed and on comforters on the floor in my son's room, on the pull out sofabed in the living room, on the trundle in my daughter's room. I feel two ways at once: I am a little overwhelmed with all the feeding and caring, but I also love all the activity and laughter and crosstalking and people falling over one another. I grew up like that. 

Still, the time to debrief with my daughter about her trip has been limited. But it's okay. We spent a wonderful day together on Wednesday, waking up slow, then eating asparagus spears grilled in olive oil and black pepper for breakfast (she made them), then a good ole American burger for lunch (my daughter was craving one), then her doctor's checkup, then a movie (Twilight Eclipse), then Bed Bath and Beyond for new bathroom mats, then Urban Outfitters for some jeans shorts for camp, then Duane Reade for replacement toiletries for camp, then the supermarket for houseguest groceries, then strolling home in the heat close to 9 p.m. Soon after that, my cousins arrived and the party was in full swing.

Standing in the middle of Broadway earlier that day, waiting for the light to change, my daughter took my hand and said, "You know what would suck? If you felt awkward with your mother. That would really suck. I don't feel awkward with you at all." And then she put her head on my shoulder and we both sighed happily.

Life is made of such moments.