Watersliding

Yesterday we went to Cherry Hill, a water park, with John's extended family. A couple of his aunts and cousins were in town, so we all got together. It is surprising to me how nerve-racking getting together with his family can be. They are all really nice, but I still get so intimidated. Even though we've been married for five years, I still don't feel like I know his side of the family very well. (Except for his mother, who I adore. The woman is a saint) Which is why we make an effort to go to these type of functions. They make me so nervous I'm practically sick, but how am I going to get over that if I don't get to know everyone better?

Grandma Stevens, Ian, Junior

So we took the boys and had a blast. I was worried about how my kids would react to all the noise and the crowds, but they loved it. Ian especially enjoyed the long tube water slides. We would race along the sidewalk and up three flights of stairs with our mat (making car noises, since we were pretending to be race cars). There were not too many people there, so we never had to wait long in line. Which was too bad, really, since I was pretty out of breath. I would hold him on my lap and try not to dunk him at the bottom. He was always ready to go again. As a rule, I don't interrupt my kids when they are involved in an activity just because I'm getting bored. I try to let them go for as long as anything holds their attention, but I finally had to beg for a reprieve. And it is a good thing I did - I can barely walk today as it is, my leg muscles are SO sore.

The highlight of my day was Ian looking over his shoulder at me as he ran up the stairs. "I like being with you, Mom. This is fun, and I like having fun with you."

Me too, Kidd-o.