Auntie Caitlyn Comes to Town

Julia and Madeleine were thrilled to have a visit from their Auntie Caitlyn this weekend! Madeleine finally seems to understand that Auntie Caitlyn is not, in fact, Auntie Shannon, and is therefore not the owner of Clara the chihuahua.

Then:
ME: Madeleine, Auntie Caitlyn is coming to visit!
MADELEINE: Yeah, and CLARA! But... Clara just keeps lickin' me.
ME: No, honey, Clara's not coming. Clara lives with AUNTIE SHANNON, not Auntie Caitlyn.

Now:
ME: Madeleine, Auntie Caitlyn is coming to visit!
MADELEINE: Yeah, but not CLARA. Because... Clara lives with Auntie Shannon. But Clara just keeps lickin' me.

Unfortunately, Auntie Caitlyn clouded the whole Clara issue a little bit while she was here, first by Skyping with Auntie Shannon and Clara, then by showing Madeleine and Julia a video of Clara that Auntie Shannon had recorded.
Madeleine still seemed to understand that Auntie Caitlyn does not live with Clara, but she did appear to believe that Clara's true home was inside Auntie Caitlyn's computer.

ME: Madeleine, isn't it nice having Auntie Caitlyn here? Did you know she has to go home to Connecticut tomorrow?
MADELEINE: Yeah, and Yia-yia lives at CONNACTICUT!
ME: And where do Nana and Gramps live?
MADELEINE: At the Mont!
ME: Where does Auntie Shannon live?
MADELEINE: At the Mont!
ME: No, Auntie Shannon lives in Atlanta. So where do you think Clara lives?
MADELEINE: (pointing at Caitlyn's computer) Um, in there!


Madeleine and Auntie C watching videos of Clara together

Julia was in for an extra special treat related to Auntie Caitlyn's visit. During Madeleine's nap yesterday, Auntie C took Julia out to the nearby nail salon to get mani/pedis. Julia has been begging me to paint her nails lately, so she was absolutely delighted to go out for a girl's afternoon with her aunt. As they prepared to go, Julia was full of chatter about the last few times she and I went to the nail salon.

"Auntie Caitlyn, did you know that at OUR nail salon, you can get your fingers AND toes painted? And when we first went there, my mom got to put her feet in this water, and then the second time we went, I got to put my feet in the water too! And I was so glad I got to put my feet in the water, because all that time I was, like, WONDERING what it felt like. I was like, 'Is it hot? Is it cold? What does it feel like?' and then finally I got a chance to feel it when I got MY toes done too!"


Showing off their nails


This morning, we got to take Auntie Caitlyn to church with us, which was extra special, seeing as she is Madeleine's godmother.


Ready for church


When we arrived, both Julia and Madeleine decided they wanted to sit down with the Sunday School kids in the front pew, so Caitlyn and I headed up to the choir together. (Ever since getting a little taste of Sunday school, Madeleine has abandoned any desire to come up to "the quiet" with me.) However, no more than five minutes into the service, Julia, who couldn't keep her hands off her sister and was so excited to have Madeleine beside her in the pew, got a bit too smothery with her hugs and kisses and knocked her sister down. Cue the wailing. And I mean high-pitched shrieking and screeching, despite the attempts of the Sunday School teachers to hug and rock Madeleine. So before long, Madeleine was back up in the quiet with us, where she spent a good chunk of time actually being - pun intended - quiet, hugging Auntie Caitlyn and trying to get over her wounded heart after being knocked down by her sis. Once she had moved on, however, she decided it was a good time to talk, full volume, about every little detail of everything she could spy in the church. "AND THAT'S BREAD THAT'S A BAGEL!" she cried enthusiastically, pointing to the round loafs of Artoklasia.

So back down to the Sunday school she went, this time with Auntie Caitlyn accompanying. Julia was back to poking and prodding her sister and gripping her in head-locking hugs, at least until one of the teachers decided to separate her from Madeleine, at which point Julia turned back into the quiet little angel she tends to be at church. Madeleine, however, wanted nothing to do with sitting still, which at least worked in her favor, since the kids were soon to start a procession of icons in celebration of today being Sunday of Orthodoxy.

So, that's how Auntie Caitlyn wound up being part of the kids' Presentation of the Icons. Holding Madeleine as they processed around the church, then pulling Madeleine by the dress as our little imp decided to walk herself and then run into other people's pews, Caitlyn got to make the most of her visit to our church by getting up front and center with all the Sunday school kids and teachers.

Two years ago, when Julia partook in this procession, I watched in complete and utter dismay as, once the kids were at the front of the church, holding their icons proudly during the rest of the ceremony, she stood there clawing and digging up into her nostrils the WHOLE ENTIRE TIME. Today, my heart filled with pride - and relief - as she stood still, holding her icon, making her sign of the cross, and keeping her fingers nowhere near her nose.



I gazed in pride at all of the kids up there, feeling such joy that my kids were taking part.



Then I watched as Auntie Caitlyn wound up holding Madeleine's icon up in front of the congregation, while Madeleine chose to roll around on the floor by the altar and kick her legs to and fro instead. Madeleine did stand up a few times, in order to try and vault her body over the wooden railing, or to pull her dress up over her head and flash the entire congregation. Little did I know what I was dragging Caitlyn into when I asked if she wanted to come to church with us today.



Yup. That little pink blob in the floor is my kid. Sigh.

All in all, though, the kids had a great time with their auntie visiting, and I was beyond relieved to have an extra set of hands helping me out this weekend!