All the Nieces & Nephews

Yesterday I was in the checkout line at Target. On the belt I had two little play aprons with oven mits and stir spoons, a basket of play food, a bin of play pots and pans, a train set with track, three birthday cards, and three tubes of wrapping paper.

The checkout lady said, “oh, looks like you are shopping for a triplet birthday!”

“What? No!” I blurt out. Then laughing, “I mean, yes it’s three kids with November birthdays, but they are all from different families. Although they are all nieces and nephews.

Today we were at my nephew Ezra’s first birthday party. I thought about how just six years ago I was pregnant with Eddie and we had just one 5-year old nephew. My brother’s oldest son.

Now my brother has three kids, Cortney’s brother has one with another on the way, and his sister has three kids. We have two with one on the way. It’s been an explosion!

It’s fun though, ya know?

Holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving and even birthdays are so much more fun now. When we get together with all the family on one side or the other, it’s like flashing back to when I was a kid. The grownups being grownups and the kids being kids. Playing for what felt like all day or evening, but was probably just a couple hours. Eating tons of food–almost none good for us–and laughing a lot.

I love watching Eddie and Charlie interact with their aunts and uncles and play with their cousins. Eddie can’t even keep track of everyone anymore. I was telling him that tomorrow we have his cousin Maria’s birthday party and he said, “Wait. Is that the baby in Liz’s tummy?” Um no. Wrong aunt. Also, wrong side of the family. ALSO? Maria is two, not still in anyone’s tummy.

As the Target checkout lady said, “wow, pretty expensive right before Christmas then, huh?”

Yeah, but it’s worth it.

So worth it.

Nieces and Nephews are the coolest.