Cousins by the Half-Dozens

Don't ask me how many cousins I have. I don't actually know them all. But Louis? This little boy who became our son six months ago in an office in Changsha is way ahead of me. He knows names and faces and asks for them regularly. We sing songs about them, talk about them, call out to children who look a little like them in the store--yelling "Molly! Molly!" down the dairy aisle--hoping we'll see even more of them.

Sometimes it's wishful thinking. But this week Louis hit the jackpot.

This weekend two of his cousins--Andrew and Lily--made the two-hour trip to our house for a visit. Louis loves Andrew, who is just a few months older than he is. He would follow Andrew anywhere, walking, running, climbing, and laughing every minute.


Louis loves Andrew's baby sister, Lily, too. If there were any doubt of his affection for his baby girl cousin, Louis showed it in the greatest gift he can give. He let her play with his trains.

Some days he doesn't even want Baba to touch his trains. But Lily? Well...even Louis can see she's much cuter than his favorite caboose.


Then Sunday, four more cousins--Julia, Gregory, Mary, and Paul--traveled into town. They are here for a whole week at Grandma and Grandpa's--where Louis spends his days while Mama and Baba are at work.

Louis is beyond excited.

On Monday when I arrived to drop him off, he danced up the steps into the house. I think he noticed when I left for work. Maybe. All I could see was the back of his head. But I know he noticed when we left together at the end of the day. The whole ride home, I heard him moaning in the back seat, "Dulia...Dulia...Dulia." It was sad, but awfully sweet.

This morning when we pulled up in front of Grandma's, he shouted "Yay!" and burst into applause.

Not sedate, polite applause, as he is demonstrating here.

Genuine, enthusiastic applause. Then he sprinted into the house.

After all, cousins are fabulous!

They tell you stories of magical carousel horses that become real.


They let you ride the motorcycle prop at the photo studio (after all, the seat's big enough for two).

Sometimes they share even when the seat's not quite big enough for both of you. (This airplane seat looks like it's about the same size as the one Louis tried to sleep on during the 13-hour flight home from China.)

They introduce you to aspects of the playground you've never experienced before.

They--well, the older cousins, at least--make sure you get a turn.

They teach you how to talk through your nose.

Arguments over toys may spring up at times, but they are always happy to see you when you arrive at Grandma and Grandpa's.
They can read!

You smile just knowing they are there.

Hey, they can be fun even when they root for the wrong team. ;)


Yes, cousins are lovable, aren't they? But that doesn't mean that it's easy to get great photos of them. Maureen and I tried a whole series of shots, hoping one would work of everyone.

This was probably our best shot.

This one makes me laugh.

But this is the one I want to frame.


Yes, it's a cousin-filled week, and Louis is loving every minute. His Mama? I'm loving that my boy is happy and tired and getting to know his cousins so well.

But I'm already worrying about the Departure of the Cousins on Saturday. And I have to admit, I'm dreading drop-off at Grandma and Grandpa's house on Monday morning.

For now, though, we have one happy boy.