Cousins

This morning Alyssa woke up with a headache, which was worrisome because she's never really complained of headaches before. But some children's Tylenol and a visit from her dear cousin, Jaxon, seemed to fix her right up. She was up and around about twenty minutes after taking the medicine.

We're home for spring break this week and since my mom had a few things to do today, I volunteered to watch my nephew so she could do her errands kid-free.

I know. I can't even imagine. Except, later in the day, she returned the favor and I was able to run to the bank and in to work for about a half hour KID-FREE too. It was an interesting experience.

I love standing back and watching my girls interact with their cousin. Jaxon is an only child. He also has only boy cousin's on his mother's side. But he's been around my girls a lot in his three years.

As he's gotten bigger and more vocal, he seems to have decided that he's Olivia's boss.

And she disagrees quite loudly with that assumption.

He's very good for her.

He's also good for Alyssa. She loves having someone around who is sturdy, who can climb onto the top bunk of the bunkbeds without help, who can jump from three steps up and land on his feet.

Olivia's trying, but she can't quite do those things. And I think watching Jaxon do these things, she's that much more determined to do them.

The arguing is vastly amusing. These three remind me so much of my younger days with my brother Jason (Jaxon's dad) and my cousin Aaron, who is actually my first cousin through our mothers (they're sisters) and my first cousin once removed through our fathers (my dad is Aaron's dad's uncle.) Confusing? Yes...but it's a small town, what can I say?

Jason, Aaron and I were together a lot as kids. Aaron's parents divorced just about a year after my parents did. Aaron and his mom moved in with my mom, me and my brother. It was fun and hectic and sometimes insane.

And I see so much of me, Jason and Aaron when my girls and Jaxon get together. None of them wants to be the one who gives in. They all want their way and they want it now.

I try to stay back and let them work it out. Cousins are a good way to learn to live in the world. Aaron was the one who taught me to tune anything and everything out.

I think that learning to stand up for themselves, learning to compromise and even learning to give in once in awhile are very important lessons.

And I can't teach all thsoe lessons myself. Sometimes, my girls have to learn them from others and even from their three year old cousin. Along the way, I'm pretty sure they're teaching him a few things too.