Departure

The Laurisons departed at dawn this morning, bound for Virginia to visit Ingrid's maternal grandparents. It was a wonderful and poignant, though somewhat exhausting visit. We stayed close to home for the most part, with a brief foray to a local farm to eat ice cream and see the baby animals (just one goat, as it turns out). Mostly we just spent time together. Time reading, playing, talking, eating. Sitting quietly, tired from parenting and growing, letting one another seep in and begin to forge a bond that is "family." Because we are related. No matter what happens from here on, there is blood that binds us, and we must be respectful, even tender about our relationship. This is most important for the "wonder cousins," or "wonder sibs," as they grow and carve out their identities from the ether and need increasingly to understand their family ties. When shit starts to really get complicated (oh, say, around the age of 13), it will be important to have these memories of being together: hanging out, taking baths, playing baseball, chewing on spoons and celery, wrestling, reading, hiking, cuddling, crying. These visits hopefully will give them a pot of goodness to dip into when they need it. In the meantime, the adults have a good time, too. Hannah and Daniel spoiled us by cooking, cleaning and caring for us in many ways. We look forward to the next visit, when the girls will be toddling (or at least Ingrid will be, she's seems ready to sprout wings and fly!) and it will be even more fun to mark the evolution of the Wonder Cousins.