Out-of-Town Visit in In the Meadow

We have had a quiet week. The kids have told me they are happy to be going back to school. I guess most kids are by the end of summer. We have all their school supplies. The twins received their locker assignments during the camp at the school. They have tried the combinations and gotten them open. This is the first year they will have lockers at school.

On Tuesday we went to visit my mom’s sister and her family. They live in a small city east of Syracuse. When we got there my aunt and youngest cousin were there along with cousin’s longtime friend. The friend just had a baby, an almost three-week-old. She was so tiny! She was very quiet when we were there. My cousin has an almost eight-year-old daughter. We did not see her this time. I think she was at some kind of camp. We just saw the little kids on this trip. My kids like babies, so that worked out well. I sort of have a casual relationship with my cousins. We were fairly close growing up. We get along well for the most part, and when we’re together it’s sort of a casual hang-out.

We then went with my mom’s sister and brother to the home of another one of my cousins. My cousin was working, but his fiance was there with her son and their two kids. The oldest child is starting pre-K this year. Such an exciting time. He was doing his best to be very grown up. The second son reminded me so much of my cousin when he was that age. My cousin and I are both about the same age, and I remember him doing lots of silly things when he was little. He would eat ketchup sandwiches and raw hot dogs. This child kept smacking himself on the head. His mom said he doesn’t often do that, but it definitely reminded me of my cousin. The youngest child is a girl. She was born in December and is crawling now. I could tell that my aunt is thrilled to have another grandaughter. As I said before, my cousin has a daughter, but cousin was twenty-one when the baby was born. Aunt loves the grandaughter, but I think she was unhappy that cousin was so young. She feels like she can truly spoil this grandaughter because her parents are older.

We all went out for lunch at a place that had burgers and fries. It was very good. Then we took a ride around town. We stopped at a few parks and the kids played. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

Also this week my mom had some things she needed to do at the Social Security office, so I took her there. While we were waiting to be called we were talking to a couple who were there with their son. They said he was born in Alaska. Usually the twins are the kids who were born the farthest away, since they were born in Southern California. I was going to ask if they were in Alaska with the military but they were called to the window then.

The kids are spending the night with my parents tonight, and I am having a personal day today. My husband and I went to the beach late this afternoon. It was a warm and sunny day and the beach was nice.

Last updated August 29, 2014