Vacation's all I ever wanted...

We have been very busy lately.  We moved (to a house! hooray!), took a trip out to Colorado, and brought some cousins back with us for a visit here in Florida.  Needless to say, there has been a lot going on.  Our moving timeline was not as smooth as we had hoped for (we literally closed on the house the night before our Colorado trip!), so by the time it was all wrapping up, I was ready for the trip out to visit family, which translates to me reading magazines on my mom's couch while the girls coerce my parents into feeding them cookies and blowing bubbles.  (There is just something about being around another responsible adult who loves your children that gives you permission to check out and ignore the commotion for a while - thanks ma.)  We had lots of fun, saw lots of family, had a bridal shower for my sister in law, played with some old friends, drank home made root beer and had an all around lovely visit.  After a week and a half, it was time for us to go back to Florida (my husband was here all alone, probably just drinking beer and eating pizza every night...lucky), but we had a nice little treat for the trip back - my cousins, who are 17 and 9, got to come with us!  Hooray!  Free help!  I mean, how exciting for them to have a nice relaxing trip ahead!  It was a pretty big deal, the big girls don't get to travel much, and my little girls were super excited to entertain them in our new house.  My Aunt, although equally excited, was also perhaps a bit apprehensive about sending her babies 2000 miles away.  I reassured her that we have traveling down to a science (we have gained some good experience over the last year of going between Florida and Colorado, and the girls know the routine - there is no funny business at the airport), but, understandably, she wanted to go through the airport with us to send the big girls off.  Now, we don't mess around at the airport.  There is a system, and the system works very well.  Baby in the stroller, the blonde and the brunette each get a small backpack and hold on to one side of the stroller, I have my back pack, and we walk quickly, and we don't talk.  This is the system.  Unfortunately, probably because I had failed to make sure our new travelling companions were aware of it, my Aunt did not know about the system.  In line to check bags, she lovingly asked the girls about their visit, tried to hold their hands, offered to help, but to no avail.  The girls were in airport mode, and both ignored and resisted her advances of affection and disruption.  It was awesome for me - the system is chink proof! - but, I feel bad for my Aunt (they really do love you and want to hold your hand, just not at the airport).  When we made it to the gate, they did finally give her a hug and say goodbye, so hopefully the good squeezes made up for the cold shoulders.  The flight was lovely (as lovely as a flight could be), and everyone had a really great week showing off toys, swimming in our new pool (oh, I didn't mention it before?  Yeah, we have a pool now, no big deal), taking a day out at the beach, and generally smothering the visiting big girls.  It was great, and I think my Aunt will be pleased with her choice to let the big girls come out for a visit, because I am pretty sure all the hollering and pants peeing and crying and needing of attention that my little girls shared with her big girls was like a giant gift of free birth control.  Abstinence!  We were sad to see them go (my girls are already asking when they get to come back), but it is nice to take a breath now and do some normal stuff before school starts (kindergarten!).  Lazy summers?  A thing of fiction.