Love Is An Open Door
I’ve been meaning to write about the highlight of our recent trip to Ohio. We had a lot of fun – tractor rides, playing in dirt piles, a trip to one of the Top 5 Zoo’s in the country The Toledo Zoo, and spending lots of time with family.
But hands down, the highlight of the trip was seeing my boys and their cousins bond. I love my nieces and nephews a little too much. Its unhealthy. I am probably the most proud aunt you will ever meet. Because my siblings were close in age, wouldn’t you know it they all started having babies at the same time. Between the 4 of them they had 9 kiddos born in about a 5 year span. It was crazy. And each baby that came was cuter than the last (sorry Drew 😉
I was living out of town for college and then grad school when they were all born and in these adorable toddler years. I visited back home as often as I could to see them. But it was heart breaking to have to be reintroduced to them every time. Little ones just don’t have great memories, and when they only see you a couple time a year it takes a while to really earn the reputation as Super-Fun Aunt Katie.
For me, visits home for the last 15 years have been all about enjoying these kids as much as I can. I wanted to know them and I wanted them to know me. But when the CEO and I had kids, it all changed. I had this crazy fear my kids would miss out on all the crazy cousin fun the others get to enjoy. I worried we wouldn’t be able to see them enough, or when we did there would be too much of an age gap for them to bond.
Thankfully, those fears and most certainly squashed. Thanks to facetime, my kids see their cousins pretty often. We also do a pretty good job of still getting together as a family, and my husband is cool with vacationing with my family. Just last year we were all together for a week, then the boys and I flew to Ohio for another week to keep the party going. It was great.
Playing Trains With Their Big Cousin and His Old Thomas Set.
And even though we hadn’t physically been with any of my nieces or nephews since that vacation last July, both my boys instantly loved all their cousins like not a day had gone by. They spent the whole trip playing with their cousins, and had a ball. At one point, completely unprompted, Associate P declared “I love Ohio because I get to play with my cousins here!”
I personally felt a little guilty last summer and this visit, because since having kids of my own, I’m no longer crazy fun Aunt Katie who comes to play with my nieces and nephews. Now I’m a tired mom who sits back and enjoys the break as they play with my kids. But it was very little guilt and the beers and laughs with my parents and siblings helped me get over it pretty quickly 😉
So when I think of the best moment of our trip to Ohio, it was definitely the beautiful sound of 2 preteens and 2 toddlers belting out “Love is an Open Door” as we enjoyed ice cream with the whole gang. Yup. That was the best moment of the whole trip.
As I ponder the beauty of the moment and reflect on all the Frozen has taught me, I can say with confidence that family love is the most special force on earth. We know each other from birth and there is the special something inside us that unites us, forever, no matter what. No matter the distance and no matter the time.
**** I should mention, this post is a shout out to my oldest nephew who turns 15 today. I can still remember the day you were born like it was yesterday, and everyday since has been a blessing because you are here! Love you DJS4
EVPHO 