Summer Vacation: Day 6

Memorial Day brought Daddy Jane's family from near and slightly further away over to their home where the boys had a chance to meet their more extended family, all of which Hesperos met for the first time. This afforded a great opportunity for each boy to try out all of his own tricks on a new (and fawning) audience. Hesperos again wiggled his diapered bottom as he did his one-armed zombie crawl across the room and giggled enchantingly when tickled. Helios, upon prompting from Daddy Jane, spelled each word from his internal catalogue, dimpling appropriately to the applause.

Hesperos helped beat the heat by keeping his head wet and hair spiky. Meanwhile, Helios did "suicide runs" down the hill toward the creek behind Grandpa Mel's and Daddy Jane's backyard, daring Daddy and Uncle Scooter to chase him.

Again, luckily for Mommy and Daddy, there was a whole new cast of characters (Daddy's cousins) who were too young to have children of their own but old enough to enjoy playing with Helios and Hesperos, allowing Mommy to play a game of Scrabble (lost to Daddy's youngest cousin, Jamie, but beating out cousin Humphrey with his double-degree in architecture) and Daddy to hang out and enjoy a beer with his brothers.

Thanks to the generosity of the boys' Great Aunt Agnes and Uncle Bob, and Great Aunt Beverley and Uncle Humphrey Sr., Helios and Hesperos were showered with little gifts, including books, outfits, and, to Helios' delight, a large-sized tractor puzzle. Great Aunt Agnes helped him piece it together and then, for some inexplicable reason, pretended to blow at the camera for reasons unremembered. The tractor puzzle is still so enjoyed, Helios often tries to sleep with it (inside its box) at night.