Cousins

Miss Eloise is a tall and willowy two-year-old with beautiful doe eyes that drink in the world in great gulps. They are luminous, vividly displaying her precocious nature. 

Last summer she wasn’t sure about the bald headed intruder who came to distract the attention of her Mom and Nana. At Christmas, she seemed much more interested in Baby, and enjoyed riding with him in her new red wagon. Her parents tell us she talked about him for months afterwards. Although she knew many other babies, “Baby” had found a special place in her heart. This year Lee-mam and Eloise have become friends. Yesterday they played with trains and blocks and Buster (Eloise’s dog, whom Liam calls Freya, naturally). Eloise showed Liam how she dances in her living room and taught him how to kick down block castles. “Make a castle!” she said. So I did. When it was done, she gracefully thrust her dainty little foot into it. “Eloise kick it down!” she exclaimed triumphantly. Liam laughed. Later that evening, at David & Peggy’s, Peggy made a block castle for Liam. As soon as it was standing, out came the foot, down came the castle!

That's a hug, not a headlock. 

Eloise's camera smile

One of my favourite parts of watching Liam and Eloise together is seeing their dads get right into the mix. Both Brendan and Owen are exceedingly proud of their children and have leapt into fatherhood with great gusto. Brendan becomes like a kid himself around his little guy, mirroring Liam’s delight in games like Jumping on the Bed, Dancing on the Couch, or Running Like a Wild Thing All Through the House (all these games have a certain Daddy-esque quality with which Mommy sometimes feels compelled to interfere – but usually tries to restrain herself. As long as no one is getting hurt, I guess it’s ok!) Owen is equally exuberant in his interaction with Eloise. He is the definition of a Fun Dad, and I suspect that his little girl has just as much of a soft spot in her heart for Daddy as there is in his for her. Watching the four of them laughing and rolling around on the attic bed yesterday made me look forward to meeting the new cousins who will be joining the family in the coming years. It’s exciting to think of how these little people will shape our lives, teach us new roles, and make us into better versions of ourselves.