More Adventures

Each day I feel thankful to have two curious, imaginative, fun-loving three-year-olds to explore the world with. Our recent trip to visit family was no exception. Traveling with Lucie and Ryan is so much more fun than I ever expected. They are thrilled by the smallest details -- an orange shuttle bus at the airport, a lollipop to help an upset stomach on the plane, or a chance to play a silly game of "go through the window!" to get in Grandpa's truck once we landed.

Though we live far away, it's so important to us that Ryan and Lucie are close to their extended family. R & L are thrilled to reunite with beloved grandparents, uncles (and uncles' girlfriends), Aunt Rach and cousin Tate. They now recognize and warm up to their relatives instantly. With each visit, I see their relationships with family grow stronger, to the point now where they talk about their relatives constantly, even when they're far away.

I was particularly proud of Lucie this trip. Like so many kids (and adults), she can sometimes be tentative and unsure in situations she's not familiar with. At her Grandma and Grandpa's house, she wasn't very comfortable splashing around in the hot tub on the first days of our trip, and only stayed in for a short time. But after a few nights of giving it a try, she could not wait to jump in the hot tub for "night swimming!" (really, more like late afternoon/evening swimming) with Ryan and her Grandpa.

When we visited the beach later in the week, Lucie was confronted with one of her least favorite creatures -- seagulls. After a day of running for cover whenever a seagull showed up, Gigi encouraged Lucie not to be frightened, and even to shoo them away when they got too close. The next thing we knew, she was running around the sand, shovel in hand, warding the seagulls off. And, after that, she'd happily run around with them, without the slightest hesitation. She developed a soft spot for a seagull with a hurt leg, gently encouraging it to get along its way when it came too close for her comfort.

Ryan impressed me this trip with how sweet and caring he was with cousin Tate. From showing him how to use the potty to collecting pumpkins with Papa, Ryan made sure Tate was always in on the action. This did mean that nap time and bed time were crazy, with the three of them bouncing off the walls together. They must have spent an entire hour jumping, making up crazy songs, and throwing loved ones out of their cribs each and every bedtime. And, they were up at the crack of dawn, ready to greet the day with play, play, and more play.