Two Weeks with Sis and the Babies in CO!

The day the Shevitzes pulled out of town we said a sad goodbye...and then a happy hello!  My sister, Isla and Kai arrived for a nice two-week visit.  YES!  It felt like a gift of time that seems all too fleeting when the kids are little, growing happens so fast and the years breeze right on by. 

With a toddler and a preschooler, so much is governed by the nap schedule, so we tried to squeeze things in here and there when we could work around sleeping babies.  But whether we were spending some time out at the gym, running errands together, playing at the school playground, jumping on the tramp or running amok around the house, it was so much fun for us to be together--as if they lived here and were simply part of the regular life routine.  The timing of their visit was really great, in that they were here during the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child book release, so we HP fans hit up the release party while a neighbor sat with the sleeping babies, plus, we were able to celebrate my sister's birthday Conlin-style, complete with a "You are Special Today" plate. 

Isla is in that 15-month-old velcro-baby/nap-fighting stage.  She was fine when she was away from mama, but if Leah was an option, we were nothing but chopped liver.  So, once she got used to us a little, one of our favorite things to do during their visit was steal Isla away in the afternoon, so Kai could rest without noisy sissy around and Leah could get a brief P&Q break, something that she doesn't often get at home in Cali.  Isla joined us for evening walks, Zac's soccer camp scrimmage game, constant errands, Luke's parkour gym class observation, all three hours of church and rock climbing.  She was so pleasant and entertaining and it was fun to have a little pink in our daily routine for a bit!  There were some days she'd fight the nap, even though she clearly needed one, but I had her number!  I used my magic mama tricks and got her to conk out a couple of times--which meant snuggling a sleeping baby--which does not suck.  This old girl has still got it!  Haha!

Kai is in such a fun preschool stage!  Easy to entertain, cheerful and eager to be engaged with other kids.  The boys had fun being his buddy: playing with him at the park, jumping gently with him on the trampoline, walking him around the neighborhood, doing arts and crafts at the kitchen counter, and pushing him on the little bike.  He also had a hysterical time playing dress-up with them and battling the bad guys using his lightsaber and The Force.  It was a hot week, so we got out the water guns and the sprinklers and got him giggling and splashing and shooting everyone until they were soaked.  He's such a sweetie!  His favorite place in the house is the stair landing, where he can observe his kingdom from on high. 

The time the boys get to spend with these sweet cousins is just too little, and they were so glad to have them around for a nice long visit.  And I was SO grateful to have my sis here.  A best-friend sister to talk with, laugh with, get advice from, share heartache and hope with, and, yes, still argue with, is the greatest gift any girl can have!       

The Force is strong with this one.

 

Isla's first pony!

Watch out for Dementors!

If pouch slurping were an Olympic event, Isla would win gold!

Birthday pizza building!

Isla wants all the things.

Happy birthday, dear Sis!

One of my favorites!

Ready to climb!

The birthday twinners.

Is there anything better than baby kisses?

Our church buddy.

Pre-bed snuggles.

National Sisters Day photos and Snapchat filter hysterics.