Welcome to our family Aunt Connnie!

I thought it might be a good time to "introduce" my aunt a bit more to my blog readers. Truthfully, I needed to wait until she was here while before I did this because, well, I didn't really know my aunt that well before she got here.

She wasn't a stranger, of course. But it had been quite a long time since we had seen each other. I remembered who she had been. But I had no idea who she was now!

 

My mother is the oldest of five siblings -- all of them having been born and raised in the Chicago suburbs. Diane (my mom), then Janet, Paul, Danny, and Connie. Connie is approximately ten years younger than my mother, and being as my mom was 21 when she had me, Connie was just a teenager when I was born.

My parents relocated to Southern Florida right after they were married in 1975. In 1977 I was born. In 1979 my brother was born. In 1981 my parents attempted a move back to Illinois. My dad's four brothers were starting an aluminum siding, and he decided to join them, only to discover that while the business was successful, supporting four families had been a bit too lofty. They returned to Florida a year later.  

Once I was old enough to fly by myself, I would spend many summers with "Cool Aunt Connie" at her home in Illinois -- bouncing around between her home and that of my dad's five brothers and sisters and my mom's four.

Connie was married to Mike. They had two sons: first Casey and then Colin, just as I was leaving my teenage years and transitioning to high school, and honestly, that is the last time I remember seeing my aunt -- when her boys were very young. She and her family (and my grandpaernts) relocated to Michigan. And so, while JB and I still made frequent trips to Chicago when we lived in Kentucky and then Minnesota, we never made it as far north as Petoskey, Michigan.

 

However, while it's been years since we have seen each other in person, we've stayed in touch via technology and through other family members. I've followed her life. She's followed mine. But being together in person is a whole new game.

 

And it'sa game that has gone fantastically! Connie is funny, incrediby down-to-earth, and very real both to herself and with those around her. We have a lot in common, and definitely have the same blood running through us when it comes to quite a few things. She likes to write. Loves to exercise. Is silly and honest at all costs.

 

She says she is not a real "kid" person, but my three have taken to her with no hesitation. And while she says kids aren't her thing, she is a dog l-o-v-e-r. Dogs are her thing, and she and Mr. Scrubby immediately became best friends.

 

Connie started a blog upon her arrival in the Azores. You can keep up with her by clicking here.

 

On her last post, she did a little "intro" to each of my children: what she has observed in three weeks here. Here is what she came up with:

 

Scrubs: Mr Scrubby, their 4 yr. old Dalmation who definitely needs one-on-one frisbee or rings time each day.

 

Isaac: He is quiet and peaceful. He is very private and expresses his acceptance of me almost secretively when there is lots happening around us - I will secretly hold out my hand and he will secretly place his hand in mine and hold it for several minutes, or I'll feel a little ones hands wrap around the back of my leg - if I look @ him (when nobody's paying attention), we exchange a smile and that's kind of our "language" of affection. When the rest of the family is going downstairs and I'm up on the 2nd or 3rd floor, he sometimes prefers to stay w/me where he/we quietly play w/toys, but few words. And he laughs outloud when I sing, "Because, because, because, BECAUSE - because of the wonderful things he does!". He calls me Aunt Twonnie.

 

Sidge: Mr. Sidge (real name Elijah, but insists on Sidge (what Isaac called him before he could pronounce Elijah). He is a very passionate age 3 - goes from 0 to 10 of any given emotion very quickly. He was immediate and open w/his affectionate hugs and always, "I'm so glad Auntie Connie is w/us (living, going with on an excursion, etc. etc.), b'cuz I love her!" He reminds me of Tigger in the Winnie The Pooh series - bouncey, happy, always moving fast.

 

ABIGAIL: Abigail watched me for nearly a week...touched me here and there, smiled or laughed w/me. By yesterday or the day before, she dove from Wendi's arms to mine! We have our own "thing" - no matter what's going on, initiated by either one of us, we just stop and point @ each other...and lots of grins ensue. She is the spittin' image, personality wise of Wendi when she was a toddler - pretty much commands whatever room she walks into. Her mommie is still that way and it's delightful! Once you've made it into her club, she is very cuddly and so engaging and funny. She doesn't have her words yet, other than Mama and Dada - but has sign language of "please" "more" and "all done". Keep her fed and entertained and everything's right with the world - you don't and everything's wrong. That's just the way it is!

I really thought she nailed each of my children perfectly.

Connie has taken over the apartment on the third floor. If you want to see pictures of her two rooms (living room and bedroom), you can click here. Outside of her little sweet is a half bath that she will share with whatever guests might be in town. They will have the choice of two bedrooms on the other half of the third floor.

The first two weeks were more observational in nature. But this past week she has watched Abigail solo. No small feat as little miss Abigail is quite an opinionated little lady. She was also going to watch the boys for me when I went to Germany. Which, obviously, did not happen. Now that she has settled in, she is really helping me M-F from 2-7pm. Those are the times we feel our family most needs help. She is also taking over the entire responsibility of the dishes and the laundry. Heaven help me!

I felt some guilt (and still do) for having Connie to come here and help me. But the truth is, things are different than when our parents were children. Families used to live by each other. Extended families were available to help.

But JB and I are living in a remote location -- with no family anywhere near us. Can we do this without Connie? Yes. But we would have to make some decisions: like hiring a babysitter a day or two a week so that I can run errands on Base or so that he and I can take an evening out together. Our boys do not qualify to attend presschool here unless we were to put them in the Portuguese preschool.

When we added up the cost of hiring sitters for those times or putting the kids in preschool, we realized that it would be a deal for us to fly Connie here and pay for her food. We would make out in this deal. It's a similar situation to the one in which Veronica came to live with us. No money changes hands. What changes hands is a love for children and an opportunity for Connie to experience the world while helping make our life easier.

Connie had prayed that the Lord would lead her to where He wanted her next to go. And He lead her to us. She has no idea where she is headed after her year with us. Maybe more time with us? Who knows? But the Lord is full of cool plans, and we are wide open to what they might be.

For now, we are so blessed by the extra person here to help us love our children. I am done with guilt. Some moms can do it all. They don't need help. I do. I can do it without help, but I am a better mom when I have it.

Here are a few more pictures of our new family member via Facebook.