In a groovy mood with the Uncles and the Aunts

Blink.  It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted last.  Why?  Because we've been in a groove of BUSY. 

How, oh how, is it that with two parents bumming around the house with their two kids (the ratio seems to be good here), we've been on some real life carnival ride?  It's like if the Scrambler and the Ferris Wheel had a little carnival love baby ride.  Crazy weird ride, right?  Yes.  It's been like that.  So that's why I've been snappish with my child who only wants a little snack in the afternoon.

No.  It's not just a little snack.  It's a production just as often as not.  It's sweet daughter chose to take her rest time early, which means she was finishing right when cuddle baby would need to go down, thereby negating any overlappage of rest time, which we all know means MAMA'S REST TIME.  And MAMA just needs to write ONE sentence, just ONE.  And sweet daughter bopping around MAMA in circles singsonging "Can I have a snack?  Can I have a snack?  Can I have a snack?" can only be ignored so long.  And when MAMA asks sweet daughter what she wants for a snack, after MAMA pulled some large chunks of hair out trying to focus for longer than a hiccup, angel voice responds "I don't know.  What can I have?"  Really.  You went with me to the store this morning.  You can look at the fruit basket on the table, a mere 2 feet from your Punky Brewster nose.  You.  Have.  Eyes.  Oh children.

But sweet daughter has been a sweet tagalong for the past couple of weeks.  We've been to not one but t-w-o zoos in less than a week.  We've been blueberry picking.  We've been all over town enjoying the respite from July heat.  And Mama has been visiting college friends and the lake with cuddle baby in tow. 

All of that is nice and all, but so far, who's still reading this boring drivel?  Here's the what what of this post.  My kids have excellent uncles and aunts.  This is my morning shower pondering: I have good uncles and aunts, but none that I would even remotely consider myself "close" to, which has not been something that I would go to therapy for.  It's my normal.  But my brothers and slew of brother/sister-in-laws have been nothing short of oh-so-much-better-than-I-ever-had.  And my kids just soak up the fun times and attention.  Now that sweet daughter is stretching out and all grown-up-ish (you know, for a pre-schooler), I adore some high energy play time...from the sidelines.  We aren't the de facto entertainment producers, and it's just fabulous.  Plus, my kids are unwittingly privy to some rich relationships that will undoubtedly serve them well for many a year to come. 

We made a quick weekend tour of Cincinnati this weekend and by a strange twist of scheduling managed to meet up with not only the OH uncle & aunt but the IL uncle and aunt as well.  It was nothing short of glorious uncle-and-aunt bliss for sweet daughter, to the extent that she made up a fun little "I'm so glad I get to play with my uncles and aunts!!!" ditty for all to hear in a public restroom in the middle of Findlay Market.  It's not the Mamas and the Papas.  No, it's better.  It's the Uncles and the Aunts in full giggling glory.