Thank goodness for nieces and nephews

I have 3 nieces and 1 nephew (so far... hopefully my brother will have another kid). My oldest nieces and my only nephew are my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's kids. They're 10, almost 9, and 7. When I first had Abe they thought he was cute and cuddly like a new puppy. They wanted to hold him, but that was it. They were too young to be really helpful. As Abe got older and more mobile they thought he was still cute but they didn't know how to play with a baby. He could crawl and look at stuff, but this whole baby thing was forgein to them. Isaiah, my nephew, was the most anxious to play with Abe. As the only boy he wanted a little brother and Abe filled that void. Now that Abe is 2 1/2 is into everything and wants to do everything. Isaiah LOVES his little cousin. He'll chase after him when Abe runs away, show him is toys, bring out his own toys for Abe to play with, and shower him with hugs. The two of them are adorable together. My nieces, Elanor and Issabelle, tolerate Abe and will play with him, but Issabelle seems kind of afraid of him (he's a little tank and plays rough with her tiny frame) and Elanor likes being in charge so Abe is the ultimate follower in her mind. When he disobeys she gets annoyed. Overall, Abe's cousins really do love him and look forward to his visits. I hope this continues because as my nieces and nephew get older I don't want Abe to get left behind.

Last week, I took my son to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom all by myself. Now, some people think it's odd, but I am all for leashes for children that can't be safe. My son has NO fear and will run off into any crowd he chooses. He loves people, seeing things, and wants to do everything. Instead of him getting lost or kidnapped, he gets leashed. Eventually he'll grown out of this need to run, but until then in crowded areas I have no problem leashing my kid (that's not to say he doesn't hold my hand or listen, he's just an active kid and doesn't want to slow down for anything). As a mom, I was overwhelmed with Six Flags all by myself. Abe can be a handful. While adorable and wonderful, it was quite an experience. I took great pictures and had a lot of fun, but 4.5 hours at an amusement park and I was ready to go home.

Today, my in-laws are coming with us. My brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nieces, and nephew will be joining us. I am so thankful. Abe will be completely enthralled with his cousins and give me a bit more freedom. They will hold his hand, keep him on track, climb the play structure with him, and go in the water areas with him. While they're on rides Abe and I can visit the animals, have a snack, and go on "baby" rides. I am much more looking forward to today now that they'll all be there. It should be fun, adventurous, and not completely drain me of energy.