This weekend is the one weekend of my two months in Texas that I regret not beging home in California.

This is the weekend my lovely daughter Pauline, my son-in-law Ryan and the Amazing Baby Maddie are visiting from Washington, D.C., shortly before leaving for three years in Indonesia. Pauline is in Southern California because one of her closest friends has something special happening -- some sort of shower, I think -- and they will be spending four days with Nicole.

[caption id="attachment_406" align="alignright" width="300" caption="My girls"]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0115-2.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-406" title="DSC_0115 (2)" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSC_0115-2-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>[/caption]

It isn't as if we haven't seen them. We spent two weeks with them in Washington state last August and a weekend in California in November when they came for Virgile's wedding. Then we spent two weeks in Virginia with them over Christmas.

But at Maddie's age (20 months last week), she is changing so rapidly that we see something different every time.

And to think that we'll see so little of her during the three years in Indonesia, that's really wrenching.

It isn't just Maddie, either. I truly enjoy spending time with Pauline. My daughter has always been special, but watching her as a mother these last two years shows me what a truly amazing person she really is.

I could not be more proud of her, and I will certainly be thinking of her this weekend as my personal Battle of the Bulge continues here in South Texas.