With a good night's sleep, though, we were ready to go. Kathleen couldn't get enough of being with her cousins Matt, Ali, and Lizzie. Shy at first, she was soon racing around the house and bossing them around. "Let's go play outside!" she'd chirp, and the whole group (God bless them!) would troop outdoors. If someone would call for one of her cousins, she'd chime in immediately. "Matt! Come down here!" she'd yell, or "Ali! Where are you?" We're not exactly sure who made Kathleen boss of people larger than she is, but it's a role she assumed with no external prompting, and of which her cousins were remarkably tolerant. They played with both Kathleen and Madeline at the pool (if Kathleen hadn't already been head-over-heels in love with her cousins, that trip alone could have bought her affection) and at the park and around the house. Both girls really do adore their cousins.
It's not that Madeline didn't want to sit with her cousins, it's that she didn't want to sit. Madeline's not much for sitting still. Why sit when you can run?
Ali, Lizzie, Kathleen, and Madeline. What pretty girls!
Lizzie did great work watching Madeline at the park. Watching Madeline is a challenge because she likes to eat things. Those wood chips? She thought they were lunch! Fortunately, Lizzie is quick and Madeline survived.
We stayed at Aunt Margaret and Uncle Craig's house for almost a week, but we didn't get to spend all that time with them. Marg, Craig and the kids had to leave partway through our visit to so that Ali could compete in the Illinois State Fair (she'd sewn a gorgeous little outfit for Kathleen) and then they could sneak in a bit of a vacation before school and football started. They very generously allowed us the run of their house, though, and that worked out great... because they live just blocks from the girls' grandparents! So, we got extra time to visit with Jim's mom and dad.
They were marvelously understanding about our child-centered schedule, and made every effort to meet with us around naptimes. We enjoyed many lovely meals together -- some at their house, some at Marg and Craig's house, and some at restaurants. Grandpa even made it a point to stop by the house in the morning when we'd be around (usually because Madeline was napping), so that he could play with Kathleen (and Madeline, when she was awake).
Kathleen introduces Grandpa to her cousins' Polly Pockets dolls, while Madeline tries to eat their tiny plastic shoes.
The week flew by in a flurry of cousins and grandparents and fun. We managed to spend time with family, watch some Olympics, and rest up from our crazy travels. It was glorious time to be in the country -- the soybeans and the corn all look amazing. (I discovered a love of running country roads. Honestly, I thought that nothing could beat running in Hawaii. But running in the morning mist through the fields of corn and beans, past tidy farmhouses and barns. Just beautiful. Different, but truly beautiful.) We even took a morning to spend at an orchard. And we spent several afternoons at the park -- more on that later.
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