I have written more than they probably like about my family, well those that live in my house. I have told you quite a bit about my growing up, and I am sure I have written some about my Sister-Cousin Sarah and if you want to know more from her own unique perspective check out her blog Mintsunglasses . I have even give you information on how my children keep expanding through those I coach in soccer; I have way more than 3 kids now. But this Sunday reminded me that my family expands in other ways.
Guess who’s coming for dinner.
This isn’t your grandma’s house, and every Sunday isn’t fried chicken after church, but on most Sunday nights we have dinner guests. What used to be our oldest, Max, coming by to do laundry and eat a home-cooked meal has evolved into a revolving door of Alex’s friends. And we I say Alex’s friends I truly mean my expanded set of daughters. Whether it is Taylor who can double as a human garbage disposal, Arielle who while sweet as can be, says some of the most quizzical things, or Maddie who I always tease Alex is truly my favorite daughter; these girls have found a way into our hearts, our home, and around our living room for dinner.
I am not 5 star chef, I’m just that fat guy who likes to eat, and figured out that in order to eat I needed to be able to cook. Also our household runs counter to the traditional one in that April works more, and I am the lord of the domestic tasks. Dinner at our place isn’t set around some huge table, it isn’t a scene of some Italian family in a movie, it is truly pretty low-key. But on Sundays the TV stays muted, and we eat with whatever conglomeration of individuals happen to be there. And up until the time dinner is finished there is really no telling just who or how many we might have.
A little bit about my expanded daughters.
We will start out with the unusual relationship. Taylor used to be Max’s girlfriend….oops. But Alex adopted her as her friend, so even when Max and Taylor’s relationship ended Taylor’s and ours did not. While yes it may seem a little odd, it is what it is. We still get the full scoop on Taylor’s life, we still have her over for meals, and she still attends concerts with us during fair season. I guess once you have spent that much time into getting to know someone, they are meant to be a part of your life.
Next we will talk a little about Under the Sea. If you know me, you also know that calling people by their actual name isn’t my strong suit. My friends have almost always had nicknames, and sometimes a slew of them. But when Alex asked me to pick up her new friend to drive them to the band concert years ago, and told me her name was Arielle I just couldn’t stop myself. We have broke into song as she has walked into the house. We have asked her where Sebastian was. And almost every other joke you can think of that pertains to the Little Mermaid. To her credit she takes it all in stride.
Arielle has had some major trials in her life in the last couple of years, and while I am definitely not getting into all that; I am glad that she has found our house to be a safe place to be, and that she confides in April and myself. She is truly a sweet girl, and I am glad Alex has friends like her to grow up with.
Then there is Maddie. Maddie is the quiet one of the group, if their is a quiet one. Our future FBI agent, is reserved and quiet for the most part; but she is also the one who I have a feeling would be most likely to slap someone upside the head if they needed it. She is also the most understanding and calm where it comes to dealing with Jaxson who likes to insert himself into everything the girls are doing.
Why I claim these girls.
If they were just Alex’s friends or we only knew them tangentially I don’t think I would go so far as to call them my daughters; but that isn’t the case. I have been blessed enough to travel to concerts with them, watch them grow throughout High school, hear about future plans, and even get to be part of the gossip chain. These girls have become a part of my daily life, I mean I have to keep up my snapchat streaks with each of them. They are wonderful young ladies, and I am certain they will all do amazing things.
But more than anything, I claim them because they claim me. They voluntarily share their lives and their experiences with April and I. We don’t coerce them to come for dinner, they generally text Alex to see if it is alright to come for dinner. They have attended family events with us, watched our dogs when we traveled, been emergency babysitters, and even provided taxi services when called upon. It is a reminder that sometimes you can choose just who is part of your family. My life is enriched by the time I spend with my extended daughters. After listening to them talk for 2 hrs I am also reassured in our youth just a little bit. Their innocence and naivety may mean that the world isn’t going to hell in a hand-basket quite as quickly as I had thought. Now I just need to figure out what is on the menu for Sunday night.
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