Leaving Tomorrow and Family is Insane

So I'm leaving for Peru Tomorrow for 20 days and my family is fantastically insane. At the moment I've got Uncle Clem's Chicken in the oven. Uncle clem, my mom's brother, who used to draw Farmer Grey cartoons, once won a national food contest with a chicken/asparagus dish. topped with mushroom sauce and cheddar cheese. My first and great love Clare Waugh, with whom I live 14 years and probably abused from self-centeredness that many years--I didn't know what love was, and I certainly didn't know how to receive it, though she sure knew how to give it (sorry Clare. I was so stupid and selfish)--misinterpreted the published winning entry--which got my uncle Clem a $5 grand prize. Her interpretation was sauteed chicken breast--diced--over broccoli, cooked with a mayonnaise/chicken stock/mushroom soup sauce and topped with mozarella cheese. Hers was better than Clem's. It was one of the dishes of the century and if you don't believe me ask for specifics. It was and is amazing.
So tonight I was making Clare's Clem's Chicken. And Chepa is not coming over to cut my hair and fix my toe nails. That's her job--by her say-so--whether we're still in love or not. I guess she's mad because I'm leaving. And Marco is tickling Madeleina to the death, and Italo is punching Marco and daring him to do a cool kind of pushup where you do a pushup on one hand off a soccer ball, then bounce up and change hands on the soccer ball. Italo did 100. Marco fell off the soccer ball on the first try. Which led Marco to re-tickle Madeleina, which led her to throw the soccer ball at me and to Italo screaming "Hey Dad! I can run the 40 in 2 seconds." He knows I timed him yesterday and with a slight incline on soft turf at 4.2 seconds. World class but not near 2 seconds.
Anyway, I guess people here are acting out a little. Dad's leaving. I'll be back in 20 days, hardly a hiccup, but that still means 20 days when they are answerable to themselves, not to me. And Marco is scared Italo will hold him to a higher standard than I do, and Italo's Sarah, Italo's live-in girl--is swearing that she'll cook for every one every night if I will only leave her recipes. I've already put 14 days worth of meat in the freezer, and enough juice/soda/milk to last till I return in the fridge--and more rice/potatoes/Quacker oats to last a year.
"Dad, I'm trying to think and I'm trying to watch TV. Stop asking me to find your backpack. If you don't know where it is, too bad. Don't go." That's Madeleina.
I'm going. I got people who expect me to be there. I'm not abandoning you guys. I love you more than you know. But I'm a dad. If this will pay the mortgage, this is our work. And I am going to do it with a great deal of love. I'll still miss you crazy guys. You're my family. But I got faith you can hold it together without me for a while.
Have a good time, okay? Don't hurt each other. Love each other. It's your chance to grow. So grow my beautiful flowers. I'm not far away.
Dad