Sweet Samantha

I had two aunts when I was a child. One from my dad's side, one from my mom's. I saw them a total of about three times my entire childhood. As I was growing up I vowed that I would make sure my kids knew their aunts and uncles. After all, I had four natural siblings, surely a few of them would be worth visiting every now and then.

As it turned out, they all became fun adults. I am thrilled for my kids, that they have such great aunts and uncles.

Then I married this man who also had four siblings. And they all turned into fun adults who married great partners. So my kids are doubly blessed.

Of course along with great aunts and uncles comes great cousins. The oldest of the group is my niece Samantha. We met her when she was about six and her mom was dating my husband's brother. We lucked out because they ended up getting married and we got to watch Samantha grow up.

She's now this tall beautiful girl who is fun to be around and can make a fun game out of anything. She is the perfect extra big sister to my kids.

We got to enjoy her company this weekend when she came to our house for a break from college. She's working on a film project and needed some kids to film. We have plenty of them for her to borrow.

She brought along all her film props and on Friday night my two youngest had a ball trying them all on and discovering alter egos.

Then I came home from work on Saturday afternoon to find our living room turned into a four square court. I don't know why it had never occurred to me to tape out a four square court on our living room floor. It took clever Samantha to come up with the idea. We spent the rest of the weekend holding tournaments.

Even after she left we left the couch against the wall and kept playing. Last night instead of doing homework and checking backpacks we had a rousing family game, all six of us. There are not many things we can all do together anymore. Girls and boys, big kids and little. Four square is one of them.

Thanks Samantha. For broadening our world. For being the kind of cousin I have always wished for my kids to have and being the kind of niece I am blessed to call my own.