parallel lives

 We had cousins visiting for the last couple of weeks. Juli and I attempted to suggest that they sleep apart or have a day or two separate from each other--what were we thinking!  
Of all the cruel suggestions!  
A day apart from cousins who are a mere, tempting, three miles away?! (Can you hear the kids all crying?...) 

Of course then we remembered our visits to Wilford. We can still both recite our cousins' phone number--which we learned before we learned our own home phone number.  And we remember walking the ENTIRE long hot dusty mile to get to Kristi and Jenni's house becuase we couldn't bear to spend even one more second apart. The hours talking and playing and telling stories...

So of course we gave in and let them spend every single day and night together.  I don't mind having them over and Mom and Dad don't mind either--they are actually a lot of fun. This time we got to learn to play Rugby and use all the cool Aussie slang.  (pretty much just shorten every word and add '-y' to the end--chocolate=chocky etc.)

I don't know how we got so lucky, but I love to have all of my nieces and nephews over from both sides of the family.  They get along so well.  It must be because they all live parallel lives in their separate homes.  We all have the same routines and habits.  Roast beef and mashed potatoes on Sundays, sharing bedrooms with siblings and chores around the house.  All of our houses are very similar so it's pretty easy to mix kids up.  I love it!