Father’s Day – Marci’s Margarita
My children – Jacob and Ariana – are great and I have many wonderful memories from when they were young. But parenting is not all roses; there were times when their behavior left something to be desired.
Raking leaves in the fall and shoveling snow in winter elicited a reaction that made me want to scream. In fact, I’m sure I did. I would ask Jacob and Ari for help, but what I got was trouble. They would make snow angels, jump into big piles of leaves, and throw snowballs – anything but assist with the task at hand. It inevitably escalated into teasing and fighting between them. I guess with these chores I should have expected the stalling behavior, but then I had to separate them to keep the peace. I would argue it took far longer to complete these undertakings with their “help” than if I had left them inside. Maybe this is giving them too much credit, but perhaps it was weaponized incompetence – intentionally being so bad at the job that I would rather do it myself.
Tuesday evening was family night at the summer concert series in the park in Huntington, where we live, with music geared towards young children. We would drive into town, set out our blanket, and bring dinner: a lovely evening and a little culture for Jacob and Ari. As the curtain went up, they immediately started misbehaving. They jumped on each other and loudly bickered, oblivious to the performers on stage. It became disruptive to the attentive kids and families, and embarrassing to us. Same thing, every Tuesday. I have no idea why a concert in the park provoked this reaction, but eventually we gave up and stopped going.
Most frustrating was Father’s Day. I’m not a big fan of this kind of holiday; I don’t want gifts or a lot of special attention. But it is supposed to be a day when Dad gets a little recognition and can enjoy time with his family. One year when Jacob and Ari were somewhat older, I thought it would be pleasant to play a family game of croquet on the front lawn. It was a sunny and warm Sunday afternoon in June, and I could enjoy a refreshing, ice-cold cocktail while we played. It would be calm family time, bonding with our children. But it was not to be.
No sooner did we set up the wickets and hit the first ball than the quarreling began. They slammed each other’s croquet balls across the lawn, as the rules allow. But they did it with such vigor. They chased each other with their mallets. I’m not sure who thought it was a good idea to invent a game in which you hand kids large wooden hammers, but they certainly used them for more than hitting the ball on their turn. In typical fashion, when I tried to reprimand them for fighting with each other, out of nowhere, they turned on me. They joined forces to argue in each other’s defense. The game ended in frustration.
While we may have tried playing again since, and maybe even had a successful game, the gift I wanted more than anything for Father’s Day was to be acknowledged and then left to myself to sip my cocktail solo and enjoy some time in peace.
Anyone who has kids expects moments of disagreement; it’s only natural among siblings. And I’m curious if my children bickered any more than others. Over the years as they have grown and matured, they have actually helped me shovel snow from time to time, although I don’t ever recall them assisting raking leaves. Luckily, today they’ve grown close, going out together and visiting each other’s apartments in New York City for dinner. But they still have moments of disagreement. Thankfully, those moments no longer involve chasing each other with croquet mallets.
Marci’s Margarita
My wife Marci makes an excellent margarita, perfect for Father’s Day on the front lawn with the family, or alone if you need a little break from your children. It’s refreshing and delicious, outstanding on a hot, sunny June afternoon.
makes 1 cocktail, about 5 minutes
enough ice to fill a rocks glass
2 oz. blanco or silver tequila
2 oz. triple sec
1½ oz. Rose’s lime juice
1½ Tbsp. simple syrup
juice of ½ a lime
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt (like David’s)
- Place the ice in a martini shaker. Add the tequila, triple sec, Rose’s lime juice, and simple syrup. Squeeze in the fresh lime juice, reserving the used lime.
- Rub the used lime around the rim of the glass. Spread the salt out in a thin layer on a small plate. Dip the moistened rim in the salt.
- Shake the mixture in the martini shaker until chilled and well mixed.
- Pour the contents, including the ice, into the glass being careful not to disturb the salt rim.
I’ve only known your children to be complete angels, Max. I’ve also sampled Marci’s exceptionally delicious margaritas. I’m glad to have the recipe to make some for Father’s Day.