Two days ago we loaded the car up and headed north for our annual visit with my husband's brother's family. We hopefully will also get to see Uncle Bob and Uncle Brian for a day before we leave, but I believe that's not a guarantee as they're still deciding on travel plans. It would have been more people, more family, and a lot of partying to celebrate my nephew's graduation from college. But due to COVID-19, plans are not what they would have been.
My nephew graduated without a ceremony, came home, and has a diploma in the mail somewhere that will eventually get to him. We had planned to all gather in celebration in May, but that didn't happen either. But we're here, even if we're the only ones here, for now, we're glad to see him and congratulate him in person.
I have a calendar reminder as well that tomorrow is my niece, Olivia's birthday. She's turning twenty, which is honestly hard to believe. My mother and I were just texting each other about it, reminiscing about times in the past where Olivia was a child or even a baby and how it doesn't seem that long ago. Time, I told my mother, doesn't fly, it rockets.
I have clear memories of Olivia with her beautiful light blond hair smiling and toddling around our house. There was a time she and her parents came over for dinner where I had the places set at the table, understanding just about nothing when it came to children as I had none myself and lacked much in the way of babysitting or sibling experience. I had set the table with a glass, spoon, fork, and knife. Olivia's mother removed those and replaced them with a plastic cup, fork, and spoon.
Then there was the time Olivia was early toddler age and wouldn't settle down to go to sleep so the adults could continue our adult conversations, catching up and socializing. Her father said he would put her in the car seat and drive her around a bit so she'd fall asleep. I'd never heard of this trick but later took advantage of it when our children were tired but couldn't get to sleep on their own.
There are many more memories of the past. I'm looking forward to twenty years of more memories to come. Happy Birthday, Olivia and Congratulations Kyle.
The Big Boy Update: When Kyle came downstairs this morning my son, sitting at the kitchen bar eating some pretzels said, "Kyle, your nose looks bigger than it did yesterday." Kyle laughed and we joked about it for a bit. Then my son had an idea that might explain the size difference in his mind as he said, "did you get bitten by a bug?" Uncle Eric came back from working on something outside in the back yard about that time. When he came into the house my son said, "Eric, you were gone so long I almost missed you."
The Tiny Girl Chronicles: Later in the morning Eric and Kyle were out refueling the jet skis for when we'd be using them later today. When we head out to the inlet, we go under a large bridge that connects the mainland to the island. The children have ridden over it in the car many times and have gone under it on the boat or on a jet ski a lot as well. That doesn't necessarily mean they understand the where and to what that bridge goes. When my son asked where Uncle Eric was this morning my daughter helpfully offered, "I think he's at the bridge" (The location they refuel the jet skis is right by the bridge.) Her brother asked, "Which bridge?" She told him, "I think the bridge that leads from New Jersey to Miami."
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