Cousins

We've just sent the cousins and Aunt Becca on their way back to Wisconsin, and both kids ambled around the house somewhat lost when we got back and they weren't here.  It's quiet and there are crumbs everywhere - reminding me of the toddlers toddling around with their snacks and Sofi and Anika singing "you take a turn, and then I'll get it back," while passing a snack back and forth - and Ani keeps asking when she will see Sofia again and if Grandma is coming with her next time.

I do love it here, but it is excruciatingly hard sometimes to be so far from family.

We had a week of uncharacteristic cold outside, and equal parts bubbling laughter, screeches (both the happy and the angry, I've-been-wronged! kind), thumps and bumps and hugs and squeezes and discovering new friends here inside the house. We managed to make it out a few times, piling like sardines into the car (with poor Becca doing some complicated gymnastics getting everyone buckled in and stocked with appropriate snacks and water) and exploring a children's museum named, appropriately, Explora as well as shopping for food and shoes and all kinds of sundries that are needed when you a) have four very hungry kids in the house; b) are in need of a "wow, that was exhausting!" end-of-day margarita; and c) have absolutely no working cooktop or microwave.

More on that last bit in a future post, as we are sort of, kind of, just maybe remodeling our kitchen here and there. All I can say for now is, thank heaven for the crockpot and a sister who actually enjoys the art of cooking (and doesn't poke fun one bit that we had to cook using only a panini machine, a crock pot, and a rice cooker). Somehow, we all ate semi-balanced meals and fueled the kids for several days of absolutely beautiful chaos. Miraculously, we avoided any major sicknesses (unlike most of the country which is apparently mired with the flu - I'm knocking on wood as I type this) and the kids slept pretty well.

I won't be sleeping very well tonight, as the Parra clan is somewhere en route to Milwaukee at the moment and I'm very much wishing that they were still here.