When you are a dad, despite where you are, your mind often is drawn back to your children. Though I have not been gone long, I miss hanging out with them. Of course Stephanie and Scott, being 18 and 16, don’t hang with me as much as they used. They have jobs, school, lacrosse, and lives. But as the father of a 2.5 year old as well, I can say that Ben loves to hang with me, on me, and all around me. Two year-old children have no concept at all of personal space.

Hotels however do. All my stuff is still in its place and it is eerily quiet…..all the time. There are no toys to step on, the TV can be on something other than Disney, and not one person here starts any sentence, let alone every sentence with the word “daddy.” I miss it.

But the nice things about trips, no matter how fruitful or wonderful they sometimes are (this one is both), is that you can always go home. And as they say in Kansas, home of the Wizard of Oz, “there really is no place like home.” It is actually the first sentence of the preamble of their Constitution…… I will be home soon!

Goodnight and God Bless!

Tommy+