Sophie becomes a Wind Seeker

Sophie Stevens has successfully aged, and I am thankful for that!

My daughter, Soph, turned 8 this month, and as she swashbuckles her way through second grade, I am happy to report that she is turning into a cool and collected kid.

She also was the recipient of two birthday parties, one at Daddy's house and one at Mommy's, and that system works best - by far. Because of an extremely small guest list, we also moved the majority of the Daddy party to Knott's Berry Farm, where we got classy season's passes and I reveled in the miraculous tattoos there.

With Grandma in town and an entourage of kids and parents at this bastion of humanity called Knotts, Sophie successfully rode something called the WindSeeker, while I conveniently led members of the group elsewhere during that ride.

It's pretty cool to have an 8-year-old, when I am pretty sure I have memories of being 8. As antiquated as it may sound, "The nuns had us writing cursive back then." I remember that.

I am not exactly sure how to feel today, but involuntarily, I feel sad and so does Sophie. After tomorrow morning, I will not see the girls until our spring breaks are complete. That is a long stretch for us, and this is the first time in my life I will be away from the girls that long at this time of year.

It is Sophie and Chloe's mom's year to have the girls over spring break, and I must accept the schedule that is reasonable and I have agreed to. Still, there are different parenting rules and styles at each house, and Sophie often has a hard time adjusting to those different rules at my home.

As a divorced dad, I have accepted the 50/50 schedule and the holiday schedule, and, by chance, this is the first time I feel that I will be away from the girls more than is necessary. Perhaps I will always have these type of feelings when it is not my year for spring break or Thanksgiving, and it simply is natural.

Soon I will switch gears and continue my international travel as I travel to Panama. I do not completely know what to expect in Panama. Perhaps I will get bit by a crocodile.