Cousin Swap

 Last week Oliver talked almost incessantly about the plans for this week. I am quite certain he'd choose time spent with cousins over a trip to Disney World. It was certainly a very unique Mother's Day. Usually we go to church and typically celebrate the holiday with Paul's mom. Last year was unique because of the lockdown (no church or time with anyone outside our household). This year we streamed the service like we did last year but only because we were en route to Maryland. We left the house around 7:30, and our first stop was the pet sitter's house. They only live 15 minutes from our house, but it was out of the way for where we were headed. I was surprised at how hard it was for me to leave Milo and his crate at another house and how often I thought of him throughout the day. In many ways he feels like the baby of the family, ha ha! We then drove to Maryland; it was the first time in seven months that we left the state of Pennsylvania. We arrived at Six Flags a little around 11:15. The park was a ghost town just like it was every time we went to a Six Flags park in 2020. It was quite the contrast to Knoebels, which was crowded last Sunday. The water park hasn't opened yet. There are two rides in the "dry" part of the park that do include water. Most of the kids rode the one that doesn't get you *that* wet. I don't believe any of them rode the one that soaks you. They hardly ever had to wait to get on a ride. As members we each received a free ice cream treat and there was one new ride that hadn't opened to the general public yet that Nadia rode. We paid about $70 per person for our membership in 2020 and because of COVID closures last year our membership was extended through part of 2021. The kids and I went to Six Flags five times last year so we've now used our membership (plus free parking and free unlimited drinks) six times. Paul went once last year so this was his second time. We're planning to go to one more Six Flags park next month (near Buffalo). If the kids and I go a total of 7 times it will mean each visit cost us about $10. I think that's pretty reasonable! We packed our lunches and ate them in the van before we entered the park. The Towfighis shared some of their meal passes with us, and we stopped at McDonald's on our way home for a little bit to eat. So it was a very unique Mother's Day. Yvonne and I don't personally enjoy amusement parks any more, but our 11 kids (plus Jenna's boyfriend) had a good time. I enjoyed eating part of a funnel cake and having time to chat with my sister. We left the park around 6pm and arrived home with Milo at 10pm. Micah and Isaiah did a fabulous job caring for Milo, but he was still OVER the moon excited to see me when we picked him up. We could never have left him in his crate alone for 14 hours so I'm very grateful they are willing to be his home away from home from time to time over the coming months. 

On our drive to Six Flags we passed the funeral home that we use for my mom and my brother. It wasn't my favorite way to remember my mom on Mother's Day. I do really miss her, but this holiday is not the emotional landmine that it was in 2007 (when I wondered if I'd ever become a mom) or in 2017 (when I was still really grieving the loss of my mom). My sister gave me our Mom's urn on Sunday in preparation for their move to Ecuador this summer. I didn't want her ashes in my house so Yvonne buried them in my mom's flower beds. Paul's mom spent Mother's Day in the hospital. She is in a lot of pain, had an elevated white count, and has been experiencing a lot of confusion for the last week or so. She was admitted on Thursday. The upside to the hospitalization is that at least Paul's dad was able to visit her for the first time in more more than 3 weeks.

Nadia is in Maryland with four of her cousins. Julianna is sleeping in Nadia's bed, and Micah is sleeping on an air mattress in Nadia's bedroom. Milo is sleeping in Oliver's room for four nights while the cousins are here as Nathan and Joel are both sleeping on air mattresses in Ian's room. Ian had an orthodontist appointment today only because I screwed up by not bringing his expander to the appointment last Monday. They cemented it back in this morning. We are supposed to return in three weeks and turn it 14 times before then. Hoping and praying it goes smoothly. I left Nathan and Joel at home (Nathan is 12.5 years old) and brought the other four children with me. I let them each pick out a treat (pack of gum or candy) at Surplus Outlet when we did some grocery shopping on the way home. This afternoon I took them to Lewisburg where they spent a few hours at the playgrounds. We ate pizza on a picnic table at the park for dinner. As usual, we brought Milo with us. It was chilly this morning when we went to the orthodontist (40's), but it was in the 60's when we were at the playground. Last night was a late night for all of us so tonight we will be going to bed earlier. I am pooped! I'm sure Nadia has had a great day in Maryland with her cousins. Although spending almost 8 hours in the car is not exactly how I'd choose to celebrate Mother's Day, it was a good day. I am very thankful for my mom, Paul's mom, and the three precious children God has given me (plus the others I get to meet in Heaven some day). I also have to say I now have more comprehension for how people feel like a "mom" to a pet. I loved different cats we had as pets over the years, but I never felt *this* attached to one I think in part because we certainly never took a cat with us to the playground and other places that we've taken Milo.