Mom, dad, and DW picked me up at the airport at 20:00 on Friday evening.  We had a great quick weekend at mom and dad's.  Saturday we had breakfast with mom, dad, niece, and her DH then went to my brother's house for a morning visit on Saturday. We ended up having lunch at my brothers "club". 

Have I mentioned that my baby bro is a business executive savant?  He has done exceptionally well.  No envy on my part.  Just pure pride in the man, DH, dad, son, brother, and leader that he is.  Please give me a lump in my throat proud big brother reset moment. Ha... hmmmm.

The morning through mid day was just family time, much of it spent playing with my brother and SIL's dog, and lots of baby bonding stuff for mom, DW, SIL, and niece who is due in May with the first GK/GGK in the Rags clan.  Everyone but me and DW were all circling my nieces baby belly like a shark feeding frenzy poking, squishing, etc... trying wake up the baby.  Eventually she woke up and went Alien on them with kicks, pokes, head buts, etc... and they all laughed and torturned the poor kid in utero.  

As we were leaving from lunch mom dropped a "Hey, I'll slice some fruit and bake some scones and we can do Easter brunch at our house."  Dad, bro, and me all cringed.  Only because mom is not a slice some fruit and bake some scones person.  Her love language is food and family. More to that later.

After lunch at the club we headed back to mom and dad's so we could get showered, polished, trimmed, and dressed for DW's work husband's, husband's 50th B-day extraveganza.  He and I are clear where we stand with our spouses.  We are the arm candy/2nd tier B-team husbands.

I am actually the 3rd tag along when the 4 of us are together.  Work DH and DW and two peas in a pod.  Work DH's DH has long held that if  he went that way that my DW was his ideal woman.  In fact, Work DH and his DH both worked with my DW on her fashion for the garden party 50th B-day.  She rocked it. Some designer dress that I am not tracking on the celebrity designer name, a rocking pair of mid level block heeled shoes that wouldn't sink in the grass, and some nice jewelry that we invested in while in the Persian Gulf during our expat years.  They have another friend who is also a two gay guy's dress up fashion doll. She and her DH are usually at the same events we are at.

None of this bothers me.  Work DH and my DW are each others zero anxiety zero drama full supportive BFFs.  Those two men are incredible people.  I am close with both of them.  They are also such incredible examples of commited successful professionals who also are gay.  For this dad of a gay man, they are truly angels.  

It was an outstanding event.  A formal garden party in their back yard around their pool.  A kids chamber music group (viola and violin) entertained everyone for about an hour capping their selection of classical pieces with a very nice Happy Birthday rendition.  When the young ladies in the chamber music group left, then things got all adult.  The butlers were all mostly naked very fit young men who circulated through the party with tappas selections.  The two open bars were staffed by mostly naked fit young men bar tenders who kept everyone well lit with an array of signature cocktails and incredible wines.  

We reconnected with a number of friends who are also part of the birthday celebrant and his DH's close friend posse, and met some really interesting new friends.   It was a great night. 

We returned to mom and dad's at about 11PM.... mom was elbow deep in baking and cooking for the "slice some fruit and bake some scones" Easter brunch.  She started cooking when we got home from lunch on Saturday at about 3PM and did not go to bed until 1AM.  She was up by 6AM to make and bake two fritattas.  One ham and cheese the other asparagus and spinach.  DW was in the kitchen with her at the butt crack of dawn.  The two of them are like a well choreographed Radio City Music Hall dance duo when they get rolling in the kitchen.     

My brother, SIL, niece and her DH showed up at 10:30AM.  We all visited and feasted on mom's "sliced fruit and scones" which also included two fritattas, 7 different baked muffins, scones, coffee cake, and other things I could not identify, an ambrosia salad, and... a ham.

Bro and his clan left at about 1:30PM while dad and I did our clean up team fest getting everything put away in the refridgerator, washed the dishes (mom of course wanted the "never to go in the dishwasher"  stuff for the Easter brunch), cleaned the kitchen, etc.... DW went upstairs to finish packing.  Then we all visited for the last hour and a half before heading to the airport.

Mom was going to go the the airport with us but decided she wanted to stay home and "finish the baby's quilt".  We did the hug, kiss, and cry goodbye (not me and dad of course. Afterall, we are "manly men"). Mom passed out in her chair by the fireplace before we were out the door.  My mom has no off button until she wears herself out.  Which she does just about all of the time.  No matter what dad outsources, mom will fill that space with something.  Get a housekeeper, mom will work on crafts while the cleaning crew is doing their thing.  Get a garden laborer who dad picks up at least once a week or not more to execute mom's landscaping garden vision,  mom goes shopping for new plants, pots them, etc...  There is no getting mom to slow down.  The only escape is for dad to kidnap her and take her on an RV trip but even then.... "Put my embroidery machine in the RV, don't forget my XYZ and LMNOP stuff too!!!"

It was a busy but incredible weekend.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter, Passover or Ramadan. Whichever fits your preference.