It Takes a Village

We were down in Connecticut this past weekend for my grandma's memorial service. Driving five hours with two wee ones is always a fun adventure, but they were surprisingly good in the car - it's getting easier every time we do it. I had prepared myself for an especially challenging weekend, as I knew the timing of events and all that had to be done meant major schedule upheaval for our kiddos. That, coupled with a house that is very difficult to childproof and a certain 17-month old who refuses to be contained, restrained, or detained, could have spelled disaster. But it was anything but a disaster, thanks to all the extra family around. I really appreciated my extended family this weekend. When my hands were full, there was always an extra set (or two or three) to back me up. The kids were constantly occupied, disappearing to the beach with Noni and Papi, reading stories with Uncle Mark and Aunt Sandy, or being tickled or chased by Uncle Pauly. All this extra love and attention meant happy kids who felt at home, despite being completely thrown off their normal routine. It's no wonder Ethan cried and said he wanted to "stay all week" when we left Sunday morning - back to the reality of a busy mom and dad who can't always give 100% attention, as much as they might like to.

It was a harsh reality for Mommy too, going from dozens of hands on Sunday to just my own two on Monday, with Ben in DC for work all week. We will be very happy when our own little family reunites on Sunday. Between now and then, we'll rely on the other side of our wonderful extended family, Tom and Sue, to hold down the fort while Mom and Dad have a kid-free wedding weekend in NY!