a week of aunties

We have found that the key to having people come visit us is to have a baby.

More people have come to see us in the two years and 10 months since our children have been born, than we ever had in the 10 years we were married.

Charlie's sister, Susan, was in town last week to meet baby Henry and my sister, Eileen, jetted in to town this past weekend.


It was awesome to have them here.

Susan is one of the gentlest souls I've ever met. When she first arrived she was doing yoga with our children and reading to them in a sing-song voice. By the time she left, her vocals had been raised an octave and she had the shakes.


A week with four children under the age of three will do that to you.

Susan stayed home with our sleeping toddlers on Monday evening so Charlie and I could celebrate our 13-year wedding anniversary. Because we are of the romantic sort, we substituted a large tub of popcorn for a candlelit dinner and went to see the 8:00 showing of the Bourne Ultimatum.

In case you were wondering, Henry did splendidly until the last seven minutes of the movie, when he erupted in to screams, and I had to bolt out of the cinema. This was similar to how I had to bolt out of the cinema during my last attempt at a movie-viewing.

Except this time, I was trying desperately to shove a boob in a vertically positioned screaming baby's mouth - in the pitch black - instead of trying desperately not to wet my pants.

Note to self: Ix nay on the movie whenever there are children in tow.

Susan left on Tuesday and Eileen arrived on Friday.


She wasted no time painting everyone's toenails.


We indulged on home made ice cream and spent the better part of the weekend lazing at the park. There was also a good bit of nose picking.

That's a favorite past-time for the children these days.


It's a lovely habit.

Now that little Henry has met two of his aunties, he only has Aunt Lisa, Aunt Kathy, Aunt Mary Lou, Aunt Janet, Aunt Mary Anne, Aunt Beth and Aunt Donna remaining.

He also has six uncles to meet.

22 first cousins.

Then there are eight great aunts, eight great uncles ... and their kids.

And that's just on my side.

We are Irish.

We are Catholic.

We are The Coleman Family.

As one of my cousins deciphered ... we are a result of the rhythm method.

Or maybe our families never tired of out of town visitors?