Overstimulated

Inspirational song: We've Only Just Begun (The Carpenters)

This afternoon at my in-laws was the first time I really got to see Valerie interact with children close to her in age. Two of her cousins were present for the holiday meal, brothers who are 3 years old and 11 months old. The older brother was a little advanced for Val, but he was very friendly and sociable, and he kept her playing. The baby brother was toddling around skillfully, but he was obviously half a year behind Val, so there were lots of things he wasn't able to do with them. It was clear to me that she loved being able to run around a huge house, being a total kid with her cousins. I think this play time will serve her well developmentally. She also did way better with a houseful of adults than I expected. What a good kid. She was absolutely exhausted by the time we left, and she was asleep before we made it to the city limits leaving Boulder.

As with many families, we skipped most traditional gatherings over the last (almost) two years. This was the first time we have attempted a big meal together since the start of the pandemic. It wasn't even all of us. The whole branch stemming from the oldest sister (there are 5 siblings in Mr S-P's nuclear family) stayed out, to be extra careful about the virus. I respect that. If they're not ready, no one should force them into uncomfortable levels of risk. We missed them, though. It was great seeing everyone who did show. My in-laws have always been a very close-knit family, who place a high value on these chances to meet and break bread. The gatherings are more casual than they used to be decades ago. I think all of our kids mellowed us out when they grew up and led by example.

I hitched a ride home with the kids when they took Valerie home. I couldn't ask the Mr to stop reconnecting with his family just because I was worn out. We had animals who needed to be fed anyway, so I was fine with leaving early. "Early" may be the wrong word to use. I had been there four and a half hours when we left, so it wasn't exactly eating and running. But when we hit the outskirts of town, I swore it had to be 8:30-9 o'clock. Nope. It was barely 6:15. I was as overdone as Valerie, conked out beside me. She and I both need an early bedtime tonight. This was only day one of two weeks of holiday fun. We need to pace ourselves.