Summer

The most beautiful place in the world

Wow--I am so happy to be with family. Ilana and her family arrived on Friday night. The new baby is perfect and his baby smell is sublime. And the two-year old has a shy, adorable Princess Diana smile. She narrates everything that is happening in amazing two-year old language: She calls Q, "boy." She gives "hug-kisses." And she has a very deep concept of "two" and points it out at every opportunity--"two bowls," "two cards," "two buckets." 

Saturday morning, after family breakfast, we went down to the creek with Ilana and Uncle Ilana and the kids. The boys and Uncle Ilana delighted in throwing bucketfulls of water at each other, arcs of water shining in the dappled sunlight, cooling us off. 

Then a family reunion--we boiled in the heat for hours, talking. The boys were so so happy to be around so many wonderful cousins and second cousins and first cousins once removed. They played in the woods and everywhere. 

I helped my nephews find grasshoppers to collect. The poor grasshoppers. Being an aunt is so wonderful. My nephews are so clever at catching bugs. 

I shouldn't complain about the heat--the 80-year-old great aunt and uncles also sat in it. It was sweet to see my great uncle pulling my great aunt up when she was trying to stand. The way that couples support each other as they age can be really beautiful. 

What else? We played Apples-to-Apples, Q's absolutely favorite game. And ate ice cream cones both nights. And watermelon. I'm very, very grateful for summer, for family, for babies, for nieces and nephews.