Visiting Nieces
I knew when I agreed to watch my two nieces that there would be some inconvenience involved. I know that my brother’s family has been inconvenienced when I leave my kids with them. This is part of what families are for, to bear personal inconvenience to help each other out.
So Kiki entertained the toddler for an entire morning while we shifted, signed, and stamped 1200 books. Everyone was tired at the end. I’ve spent days airing out toddler entertainment skills that I’ve not used in years. In some ways having a visiting toddler is more difficult than living with one. Life in this house is not scheduled properly to meet toddler needs. If she came here long term, we’d have some serious shifting to do. But her mom returns today. I just need to keep muddling through until time to give her back.
All my kids have loved having the nieces here. Niece one blends right into my family without a hitch. There have been many back yard adventures. This evening there was even a swim adventure. Niece2 has gotten to participate in much of the fun. The older kids have been really good about including her and watching her. But she really is a quiet little person and she prefers to hang out wherever I am. She wouldn’t have a thing to do with me until her mom left, now she’s pegged me as the mom figure and will hardly let me out of her sight. Which is actually a pretty good survival strategy when you can’t provide food for yourself.
I’m glad they came. I just wish it had been in a week when I could have just hung out and played more. Instead I’ve been holding Niece2 on my lap while doing my work and handing her safe office supplies to examine in lieu of the keyboard. The fact that this tactic works at all demonstrates how much more obedient Niece2 is that my kids ever were. No doubt part of the obedience is because she still feels unsure with me, but she’s also a less head-strong person. It has been a good visit.