As fate (or luck, or fortune, or something else) would have it, an aunt moved in next door to us. My sister-in-law, to be more precise. (I’ll leave it to the reader to decide whether this is good or bad fate/luck/fortune/etc. — I think it’s clearly in the “good” camp). At any rate, this situation has provided our son the ability to constantly interact with a family member as if they were just next door (because, you know, she is). After being away from family for so long we can really tell that our son enjoys knowing that at the end of each work day he has a lot to look forward to. In fact, every single noise outside of our home is met with him calling for his aunt and rushing for the door, certain that it is her who made the noise and is wanting to get in to pick him up and read him a story. At any rate, one morning his aunt made breakfast and invited us over to have some. It was a wonderful time and he really enjoyed this Sunday morning family time with someone other than his parents. As fate would have it, my wife’s parents (and some other siblings) came over that morning too.
This impromptu gathering was a real treat for our son. His eyes sparkled as he played with his youngest aunt on the sofa. He did a little dance in the middle of the room as his grandpa told stories and tried to tickle him amidst our son’s giggles. He asked his grandmother for ice (probably a future post of its own) and had so much fun that he really didn’t want to actually eat anything. This was the big morning breakfast we had recently. The day was cool but not cold; the skies were clear; the wind was calm but present. Hard to ask for a better day, honestly. Hard to imagine a happier child (though he constantly exceeds himself).