Cousin's Camp

Apparently my daughters and my daughter-in-law, plus a lot of encouragement from my bride have instituted a new tradition. It is called "Cousin's Camp" and it been an annual event for 3 years or so. The idea is quite simple. All the ladies bring their kids to our house for part or all of a week of swimming, movies, shopping, and just general fun. The age span this year was 10 down to a year old. We use about 6 gallons of sunscreen, a landfill worth of diapers, and the dishwasher runs non-stop for a week. It is a good time had by all.

Our ten-year-old grandson is the ringleader for the three boys. The 3+-year-old and the just turned 3-year-old adore him and follow him around like puppies. One night Lincoln, our 3+ spent the night and apparently tried to talk his way to sunlight. Eli, the 10 year old asked his Nena for some help getting Lincoln to hush long enough for all to sleep. I think it worked, both seemed pretty well rested the next day.

I have a sore muscle in my neck from trying to watch 2 little girls who can not swim step off the side of the pool with no regard to water depth, to Isaac, our newly minted 3-yr-old who while wearing floaties still makes me nervous, and Lincoln, who just took swim lessons has more confidence than expertise. My head was on a swivel the entire time. I will say at one point I was watching most of them and realized my bride, and both my daughters had taken up sun-bathing, leaving me with the kids in the pool. I called time out and herded the entire troupe to their mothers. Sun-bathing time was over.

One of the joys for me in all this is the cooking. We had everything from shrimp/pasta in foil to grilled chicken to a dish my daughter calls "pretzel chicken". We are terrible at judging food quantities, so the last night we had left overs and cleared out a surprising number of containers. But the cooking and the grocery shopping and the sharing of cooking ideas with my eldest daughter is joy that I hold close.

It was a week of laughter, meltdowns, sniffling noses, dirty diapers, damp towels and warm memories. I think we value the bond of family when we see them only occasionally. It reminds us that friends are great, but family is eternal. For a week a year, I get to talk to Eli about his life. I get to sing and act surprised by the princess called Phoebe. I get to enjoy the mischievous humor of sturdy little Lincoln. I get to be startled and delighted by the wit and song of Isaac. I get to experience the growing relationship with wide-eyed Lola. I get to begin the games of life with serious little Abby. And of course I get to bask again in the contentment and the pride of my girls, Jordan, Carrie, and Sarah.

And there was one moment last night when my bride and I hugged in the middle of the living room. We sort of leaned against each other in contented fatigue, but I held the woman who has made all this reward possible for me. She may be the best part of cousin's camp. Then she said, "BREAK!" The moments were not over.

Godspeed to those who have the chance to gather the group, the original recipe and all the great flavors added in. It is a dish that tastes better as the years slip by.
Don