Cousin Play Day

Today was the second time that all six of my sisters' and my kids were together; but it was the first time that they were all ages that could really play together.

We spent the morning at home. They played inside and out and they had a lot of fun. After lunch we picked up my middle sisters' kids (she had to work) and took them all to the pet store:

And to the mall:

The adults included my mom, my oldest sister and myself so a 2:1 ratio. Not TOO bad but still a little nerve wracking at times, especially when we were keeping track of them in the mall play area. It was like a flashback to my preschool teaching days, constantly doing head counts to make sure everyone was accounted for. Not that I needed it but it was another reminder of how we want our kids spaced out a bit.

Ayden gets to play with kids his age every Thursday after story time and at the studio on Wednesdays while I teach dance so seeing him interact with other kids wasn't a new thing for me. For some reason, though, watching him play so well with his cousins made a difference and I was so proud of all of them. The older three play "big kid" games together but are still cautious around the 3 little ones and even help look out for and take care of them. I love that Ayden has all of these kids to grow up with and am also excited that we will meet his new little cousin in just a couple of days! It will be neat to see him as the older one.

This day wore me out, but in a good way :). It is bedtime for us all.

~Sarah