Category: Family

This past weekend when my family and Emily’s family got to spend the weekend at Fort Rapids, there was some awesome cousin bonding that happened. All four cousins played so nicely together, and were just cute and sweet and funny.  At one point, Kate and Sophie were sitting on the bunk beds in our villa together and I whispered to Emily, “I hope they’re picking out bridesmaids dresses for each other’s weddings!”  Then yesterday, Kate spent the day with us at our house.  She read books to Sophie, played Littlest Pet Shop with her (Joshua even joined in, don’t tell his friends), they all three played hide-and-seekm we broke out Busytown, one of my kids’ favorite board games…it was just really FUN.

Emily and her sister  Anna were kind enough to let me be  a sidekick to their sisterdom and form the SuperCousins.  I never had a sister, but I had the next best thing.  I got to be close to my cousins and I didn’t have to share my clothes! (Although as adults, especially during and after pregnancy, we all three of us shared clothes!  As a matter of fact I still have a bunch of Anna’s maternity clothes hanging in my closet and she still has a bunch of my regular clothes that she wore post-partum.)

Kate doesn’t have a sister, Sophie doesn’t have a sister, and Anna’s baby Lily doesn’t have a sister…*yet* – I suppose that’s still a possibility, right Anna?  But they have each other! Girl cousins!  We’ll have Lily designing the bridesmaids dresses in no time, I am sure she is going to be crafty like her mama.

My niece Murrin, who is 13, came over Wednesday to help me with the kids at the CRAZY pool.  She was so sweet and kept such a good watch on Sophie, and Sophie loved it. She told all her friends at the pool, “Look, I brought Murrin!”  Another girl cousin success. Murrin also has girl cousins on her mom’s side of the family with whom she is very close.

Sophie also has lots of girl cousins on my husband’s side of the family.  One, Isabel, is only 3 weeks younger than Sophie.  When they get together it is C.U.T.E.!!  Sophie also has two girl cousins, Gabbi and Katie, who are about Joshua’s age.  I hope they will all be good girl cousin friends as well.

I can’t wait to see how my kids and Emily’s kids and all their other cousins grow closer as they get older.  And based on my own experience, I am going to do whatever I can to encourage these great cousin friendships!  I’m so thankful for my extended family.

(Photo by Anna B Photography)

My cousin Anna took this picture yesterday; it is of my and Emily’s grandmother playing hide-and-seek with Joshua (the blue blur) and Kate (the purple blur).

Grandma is pretty much the best hide-and-seeker ever.

This picture speaks to me; it tells me lots of things I already know but reminds me how important these things are.  For instance, that my grandmother is at 85, still an expert at the art of playing with a child, just like she was when Emily and Anna and I were little.  And that, like the speedy blurs that are Joshua and Kate, the chances to play with a child pass by in a blink.

It reminds me that there is a time to be still, and a time to be quick.  That the most fun things in life are also the most simple.  That people are more precious than things.  And most especially that I am very, very blessed that my kids get to enjoy my grandmother just as I did as a child.

Take some time to enjoy the simple things today.  Because Ready or Not, they won’t always be there.

It’s about time we start thinking about it. We can’t avoid it much longer. Black Friday is next week, you know.

Christmas shopping.

‘Tis the season.

Wait, what? You have all your Christmas shopping done, wrapped and sitting under your perfectly-decorated tree? Now all that’s left to do is sit around drinking hot chocolate and singing Christmas carols?

Lucky you.

I, on the other hand, haven’t done jack to get ready for the holidays. Fortunately all I have to do for Thanksgiving is show up at one grandma’s at noon and the other grandma’s at three with two cute kids. I’ve got that covered.

But Christmas?

Not so much.

As for decorating – I have visions of white lights all over our house and yard. However if I remember correctly, I found out the hard way last year that about 2 of the 43 strands of lights that we own work (please tell me I had the sense to throw out those that didn’t) and there’s a strand out on our pre-lit Christmas tree. So I don’t exactly have this part under control.

I don’t even know what to get the kids for Christmas. Kate has one item on her list: a puppy. Not gonna happen. (Unless her father buys her one while I’m not home. Which is entirely possible.) So I don’t know what else to get her. Sam has an extensive list of two things: a Reds hat and a Bengals hat.

Frankly, one look at our basement makes me never want to buy a toy ever again.

So, that leaves me in quite a quandary.

Give me some inspiration here, people. What are you excited about giving your kids (or spouse or neighbor or whatever) this year?