The reason we were there at a time that no one in their right mind would choose? To watch my nephew for a few days. My sister appeared in several shows during the local theater's summer season, and while normally my parents do the babysitting duties, they had a week-long trip planned in the middle of it all. So Kiddle and I were on the job.
And we had a great time. In some ways hanging out with two of them is easier than just one. They adore each other so they keep each other entertained. But, it was also like herding cats. You're constantly trying to get one to go somewhere, the other not to go somewhere, do this, don't do that. Fun and stressful all at once. And we kept really busy: the play area at the gymnastics center, the park, the sprayground, the play area at Chick-fil-A (or "chick-a-lay," as my nephew calls it), the science center, Pump It Up.
The last two activities we were only able to do because, in one of those bizarre mysteries of the universe, Mr. P actually had to be in Oklahoma for business while we were there. He's never gone there for work and probably won't ever again. And that week really was when he had to be there; he didn't schedule it around us at all. Crazy.
Overall, the first week was great. Kind of odd and kind of nice to be there for a week without my parents. I say odd mostly because it's not the house I grew up in, so it's still feels a bit like staying at a friend's house instead of your family home. And it's too big. My parents are the only people I know who moved into a bigger house after they got rid of the kids.
More on the second week in another post. Here are some great pics of my nephew at the sprayground (god, I wish we had one around here) plus a bit of video of the two of them. (And, no, I'm not total trailer trash! They don't normally run around in public dressed like that. Did I mention it was 140 degrees?)
