2/3s and Counting

The loneliness levels around here have been smashed with yesterday’s arrival of my Favorite Son, the ABFA and, of course, the BRS and BR3. “Our” last day of prep work was limited due to an all day power outage on Wednesday which wasn’t a bad thing with, you know, the beach out our front door. The emphasis certainly wouldn’t have been on the “our” either since my Favorite Panamanian has a bum knee she’s fighting, so, all in all, not a terrible turn of events. We returned to David on Thursday morning in high anticipation mode as we tracked the New Hampshirite’s flight to Panama. We also were in acquisition mode because my wife can never have enough surprises and goodies for granddaughters.

A Most Welcome Addition to the Living Room

First View of the Ocean this Morning

Grandpa, Why Aren't We Out there Already?

With their arrival, we now have fully 2/3rds of our granddaughter population present. My wife’s entire clan showed up at the David airport yesterday. It was a very cool moment to see them coming out of baggage claim, topped off by a pell-mell charge by the granddaughters when they recognized their grandparents waiting. The granddaughters were a little confused by all the fairly unfamiliar family they encountered but were gracious with the serial hugs they had to endure. Once my son had his rental car secured and child seats implanted, we were off for El Fogon with everybody else for a huge family dinner. I failed to impress by missing a turn but we weren’t too far off course.

ABFA Leading the Way Through Logan

Intrepid Travelers

Coming for These Sunsets

And Beach

In a minor downer, my favorite waiter wasn’t on duty but we had the entire restaurant to ourselves which was a good thing when dealing with two highly energetic young ladies who had been cooped up on planes all day. It was fun to sit back and bask in the assembled family reunited. We still had the night drive to Las Lajas with my wife co-piloting my son’s car while I was assigned the ABFA. My son survived his first exposure to Panamanian driving which is not for the faint of heart.

Arrival Craziness

We stopped at the Show Pony to check in my son’s room and then continued on to the condo. The granddaughters will be staying with us while their parents bunk at the Pony for the next week. It’s a win win with the parents getting a dimly remembered opportunity to sleep in while we get our granddaughter fix. This also marks the first time BR3 has slept outside a crib and in the same room as her sister. While that wasn’t as smooth as hoped due to the two very determined conversationists involved, they eventually settled down and we all got a good night’s sleep.

Dinner at El Fogon

Our wakeup this morning was a little more abrupt than those over at the Pony but we were in the “abuela zone” which meant everything was handled. My son called us a little later and rushed over when he heard hojaldras were in the offing. So, we’re off to a great start and it will only get better starting this weekend when my daughter and her family arrive along with most of the rest of my wife’s family for a large Sunday party celebrating birthdays, and, well, family.

Wife Created Some Towel Animals to Welcome

BR3 Seems Happy

Breakfast

Beach Time

Son Heading out to Boogie Board with his Fans

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course