Epic Cousin Weekend

I am the oldest first cousin in our family by five years.  Even though when he was born I said if he was a boy I wouldn't like him, Zach and I have always been close being the closest in age.  And since I didn't have any siblings he has been more like a little brother to me than a cousin.  We used to play outside at Nan's for hours and share a special bond created when you have to have mud sprayed out of your butt crack with the garden hose because you played in a freshly plowed field after it rained.

The next one born was Logan, and being eight years younger than I, we never really played together that much.  He is Zach's brother and so he tagged along quite a bit, but I didn't really feel like I "knew" him so much.  Then came Andi, eleven years after me.  She was the other only child and the other girl and I always liked her even though we didn't see each other much because they live in Texas.  But when you are 21 you don't have much interest in spending time with a 10 year old, and all of our interactions were family events like funerals, weddings and the assorted holiday. 

When I was 15, and again when I was 17, Mom sent me down to Texas to stay for a week with Becky, her sister/my aunt/Andi's mom.  Andi would have been 4 and 6 those years and mostly stayed home while Becky took me shopping and to Ranger's baseball games.  I had been on Becky's case about sending Andi up here for a week the past couple years because to me that was only fair.  Plus, I wanted an opportunity to get to know her better and for her to get to know the other cousins better.

Finally, this past week Becky flew her to Nashville.  I'd like to think it had something to do with her feeling I was finally "mature enough" to watch her kid without breaking her, but in reality I know it was because she and her husband were both going out of town and didn't want to leave an almost 17-year old home alone for a week.  Regardless of why, we had her here.  She stayed with Mom some, but most of the week she stayed with Kirby and I.  We spent the afternoons shopping, eating and just hanging around.  She went to yoga with me Thursday night.  I worried that conversation might be a little strained or that Andi might get bored, but we ended up having a blast.  Eleven years isn't that big of an age difference once you get older. 

Another factor that made it so much fun is that despite our being raised hundreds of miles away and barely being exposed to one another, you might think we were sisters if you saw us together.  She's almost a carbon copy of me when I was her age, we look alike, and share a sense of humor and mannerisms.  That probably has to do with the fact that, even though neither one would want to admit it, Mom and Becky are alot alike.  Plus, I seem to take a little more after Becky than Mom in some personality traits and looks.  We all have the same smart mouth and wicked sense of humor, though.

Friday night we drove over to Milan, and went to Zach and Logan's house for Logan's birthday party.  We got in late and the party was winding down, but after everyone left, the four of us (plus Kirby) sat outside and talked for almost three hours until 4:00am.  I didn't realize it until she told me, but that was the first time Andi had had any conversation of substance with the two of them.  The next night we all went to the dirt track races in Atwood, and Zach brought his "new" girlfriend Erica along.  Due to my protective nature of Zach he had hesitated to introduce me to her for a while, but I'm not sure why.  She's a trip and we hit it off right away.  Afterward we went to one of their friend's house and hung out until 4:00am again!  

We all had such a good time and it was so cool to be able to hang out like that.  Nan was glad to have us all there, including Kirby who she adores, even though she wasn't keen on us staying out so late or having us help her out as much as we wanted to.  She's still adjusting to not being able to do as much for herself as before, as are we.  It hit me like a ton of bricks Saturday when I was grocery shopping for Sunday dinner.  Nan's kitchen is kind of sacred ground in our kitchen, and even though Mom and others have helped her with big holiday dinners I've never seen anyone else get in there and make a whole meal before, besides Nan.  Not to mention it was for the entire Sunday dinner crew, including both my uncles, my aunt, the cousins, one girlfriend, and Elbert across the street.  the food passed inspection, but more importantly I officially passed from child to adult in the family.  I had a wonderful weekend "playing" with my cousins, in the environment we used to play in all the time (just different activities), but the weight and responsibility of being the oldest finally set in.

After a week of little sleep, and a weekend of virtually no sleep, I was totally beat today.  but I was able to stay alert (for the most part) and get through my day bolstered by the fun and family bonding that had taken place.  Its worth losing a little sleep for once in a lifetime opportunities.  I've always worried about our family, mainly the first cousins, staying in touch and close, after Nan's no longer with us.  She's the nucleus of the family--her kitchen the epicenter--and without that bringing us all together I often felt we would all drift away, doing our own "grown up" things and never really see each other.  This weekend, I think, proved otherwise.