'Cuz we loves our cuz! Or more accurately, because our cousins love us! In July, we were lucky enough to be visited by two cousins, tall and small. (Okay, so our family genes don't really do tall, but it's all relative.) Alesia was the first to arrive, flying out to see us two days after finishing her second year of teaching first grade in Queens. Despite a packed schedule, she squeezed in a week-long visit right before an amazing European adventure. We feel so loved!
Here's the crew headed to the Joslyn directly from the airport. Can you tell which one is the adult?
Neither could the ferris wheel operator. She stopped Alesia and Eli to explain that Eli needed to be accompanied by someone over the age of 18. :)
Back to the Joslyn, we had a great time splashing in the outdoor water sculpture.
Once we made it to the Andrus home, Alesia pulled out some incredibly thoughtful gifts. Brooklyn was beyond ecstatic to receive hardback copies of the Harry Potter series. These books have been read and re-read every day since.
As for Eli, he got a whole bag full of leveled Star Wars books. He sleeps with them most nights.
Talia got a science experiment kit and terrarium.
Nothing more fun than goo!
As for Annika, she got the most precious book, "How to Dress a Dragon" along with a dragon of her own to dress in undies and a superhero cape. Absolutely perfect for this potty-training gal! (She's actually got the whole potty training thing down now. As for getting dressed, that's a completely different story. I keep catching her running around in the backyard buck naked. What a way to introduce yourself to the neighborhood! And don't even get me started on bedtimes and the transition to a big bed. Maybe I need to read her Alesia's book more often? It seems to have a magical soporific effect.)
Annika isn't all trouble though. She was a great help pricing items for our garage sale. (Total bust by the way. All that work, and then it was rained out.)
After a few days of hogging Alesia to ourselves, NomiAnn arrived with the smaller cuz, Eila. As you can see, Annika quickly had to learn to share a lap. (As if Annika's ever shared anything... Am I too snarky? It's been a rough day.)
Good thing our biggest girls don't insist on much laptime anymore. I kind of miss it though. With noses constantly in a book, they're just growing up too fast!
Anyway, back to our sweet Eila Kay, she traveled home from Washington with NomiAnn because her Mommy was doing a three-week, uber-intense graduate school summer program in Central Washington. While Eila presumably missed her parents, she was doted upon by so many loving relatives that she survived the grief.
Eila Kay and Papa Kay!
Despite the hot weather, we braved the zoo. Looking around the gorilla house, the only monkeys I saw were my own!
Annika, close kin to the orangutan since birth. (Aka, remember the hair.)
After the zoo, we picked up pizza from Orsi's and stopped to dine and play at a South Omaha park. I even made good on my promise to get the kids something from the ice cream truck before we moved!
Of course, who needs a playground when you can ride the rocker at home?
Apparently trike riding is a perilous sport at our house. We still have no idea how this happened. (Now as for the damaged red bed in the background, my kids learned a stern lesson about the consequences of leaping off the top bunk onto a toddler bed. Argh.)
Yessiree, we loves our cuz! Doesn't it look like this gang is on top of the world?
That's 'cause they pretty much are. On July 3rd, we drove to Werner Park to see the fireworks from the top of the trusty RAV.
Huzzah!
Stay tuned for more Fourth of July Fun! 'Cuz it's our cuzzes we loveses.
