Somehow it seems you can only say goodbye to dear friends over a meal, even if it includes bad drinks. So on Friday evening we gathered with some neighbors who are moving, and felt it keenly: how much fun we've had together and how hard it is to say goodbye.

How do these Navy families do it? Say hello/goodbye every two years or so? When these guys moved back into the house they owned on the block (after a several year absence during which all we heard was how fabulous they were) this little nubbin wasn't even born yet. And here she is, sporting the first broken bone of the family (big toe), and eating her Cherrios with a fork.

Callum was never happier than when he was in the mix of their vibrant, bustling family. He was perfectly situated between their two older boys, and while their eldest ushered him through his first lacrosse season, their second eldest was his best bud on the block. We're planning a visit this fall, and Callum asked how often we thought we might make it up to see his friends. When I said, optimistically, I thought, "Oh, maybe once or twice a year, " Callum's response was to wail, "Only once or twice a year? I can't bear it."

Al those neighbors who told us how fablous these guys were? They were right. Yes, Callum will surely miss them. And we will too.