This weekend was my older brother Paul’s birthday and also Father’s Day. There was much celebration and rejoicing all over the land because Paul is amazing and my dad is alive. YEAH!? YEAH!

But first, I babysat some crazy kids.

Owen and I were playing paddle ball in the backyard when WOOPS the ball went over the fence. It’s New York City so you don’t know your neighbors and you don’t even know which apartment building they live in so you can’t just knock on their door. I suggested he write them a note asking them to throw the ball back over and then I would tape it to their side of the fence so they could see it.

He complied.

Then we went to Union Square to climb on a huge metal sphere and dance atop it and slide down it. BEST. EVER.

Later that night, Paul and his wife came into Astoria and we ate lots of Thai food and finished it up with Greek pastries. Paul was quite sunburned from going kayaking that afternoon and the fact that he is the palest person to ever walk the planet.

This is the classic Paul & Laura Pose: Paul is all, WHAT IS HAPPENING and Laura is all, WHO CARES BITCHES WOO!

I may or may not have been wearing one of my rompers. Or, as my sister likes to call them, my “onesies”. Regardless, I was proud of it and OH MY GOD would you look at those muppet limbs? I am a cartoon. Sigh.

I spent Sunday with my dad who let me take a photo of him. And how could I not? He was wearing his Apple Pi shirt. He was having a GREAT day and doesn’t even show a hint of sickness in the photo except for his little PICC line showin’ through. WORK IT.

Deb and Jem did the usual – act insane.

And I took an amazing video of Jem getting pushed through the kitchen in the wheelchair by Paul while my dad snores peacefully in the background. JUST A TYPICAL FATHER’S DAY AROUND HERE! YOU KNOW!

In case you want a glimpse of the Dlug household after dinner circa 2010, I give you this:

Jem + Wheelchair from The Spectrum on Vimeo.

It was one of the best weekends in recent memory and I was so grateful for that. My dad was happy and in a minimal amount of pain, looking forward to a consultation he has coming up this week with a new surgeon. He’s also almost off the antibiotics which means if he watches his painkiller intake, he can have a glass of wine. He is counting down the minutes.

As always, I am humbled by the love my family shows me and by the twins I babysit for who show love for each other (and me) in a way that is pure and simple. Before leaving the park on Saturday afternoon, I told the boys they could go splash in the water fountain. They ran to it excitedly but paused when they realized bigger kids had gotten there first. Intimidated and cautious, they chose to stand aside and wait for them to leave. Instinctively, they grabbed hands and held them for quite awhile.

I sat there, awed. What a remarkable thing, family.