Real Life Fun!
Just got back from a vacation!
As I've mentioned before, my 3 daughters and their families are scattered all over--the oldest is in Eugene OR, the middle one is in Heidelberg, Germany, and I now live with the youngest in Winston-Salem NC.
This past week we all converged in Kill Devil Hills in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and stayed at a rental house for a week--the first time we've been together in 2 years, and this time my ex (their dad) and his girlfriend were invited. (Not a problem--it was a mutually amicable divorce after 43 years.)
It was so much fun to see all the cousins--six of them ranging from 6 months to 11 years--interacting, but what was even more rewarding was watching how the kids were all comfortable with their various aunts and uncles, even though they haven't been in close contact with them. I think it was particularly delightful for me to see because I never had any cousins and my kids only had my sister's 2 kids as cousins and we didn't hang out too much. So seeing the ease with which the kids interacted with whichever adult was available was happy-making!
And a picture, of course!
Far left: Evelyn, 7, (OR); Emma (the tall one!), 11 (Germany); in front of her is her sister Matilda, 5; behind me is Kira, 10, who is Evelyn's sister; and on my lap are Hazel, 2, and River, 6 months, with whom I live in North Carolina.
As I've mentioned before, my 3 daughters and their families are scattered all over--the oldest is in Eugene OR, the middle one is in Heidelberg, Germany, and I now live with the youngest in Winston-Salem NC.
This past week we all converged in Kill Devil Hills in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and stayed at a rental house for a week--the first time we've been together in 2 years, and this time my ex (their dad) and his girlfriend were invited. (Not a problem--it was a mutually amicable divorce after 43 years.)
It was so much fun to see all the cousins--six of them ranging from 6 months to 11 years--interacting, but what was even more rewarding was watching how the kids were all comfortable with their various aunts and uncles, even though they haven't been in close contact with them. I think it was particularly delightful for me to see because I never had any cousins and my kids only had my sister's 2 kids as cousins and we didn't hang out too much. So seeing the ease with which the kids interacted with whichever adult was available was happy-making!
And a picture, of course!
Far left: Evelyn, 7, (OR); Emma (the tall one!), 11 (Germany); in front of her is her sister Matilda, 5; behind me is Kira, 10, who is Evelyn's sister; and on my lap are Hazel, 2, and River, 6 months, with whom I live in North Carolina.