This past Memorial Day weekend, my sister’s family came out to stay with us at our house. One of the greatest things about buying this house two years ago is that we can have family and friends stay over for holidays and weekends. This is something that has never been an option in our NYC apartment.

If you followed my Snapchat all weekend, you probably got to know Jack and Neve, my nephew and niece.

Jack just turned three and is really coming into his own recently. The kid is hilarious both intentionally and unintentionally and after three years of just ooohing and aaahing over him as a baby, I am now having the most fun getting to know his real personality.

He likes music, dancing and running in the opposite direction of wherever you ask him to go.

Jack was particularly enamored with Mazzy and Harlow’s Barbie and Disney princess collection; I think because they represented completely new kinds of toys than he used to seeing at home. He’s always been more of a cars and trucks kind of toddler. But oh my god is it wonderful watching him smooth back Ariel’s hair and call her bikini top “beautiful.”

Neve is the kind of cute that makes your ovaries scream out for another baby and you’re like, “SILENCE! I’M DONE!!!!!!!!!”

I think.

My sister asked me if she was bias about Neve’s cuteness because obviously Neve is her daughter and I was like, “No. Neve is a beautiful baby to anyone with eyes.” FYI, Neve got the large eyes gene just like Mazzy and Harlow. Somehow it skipped me though.

Look at how adorable Harlow is cuddling her baby cousin.

Doesn’t Neve make Harlow suddenly look sooooo big??!! Stop screaming at my ovaries, Neve! Sheesh. I might not be able to invite her back.

I spent a good part of the weekend hanging out with Harlow— taking her on errands, hanging out in the hammock and baking blueberry galettes (more on our new galette obsession at a later date.)

Mazzy spent most of the weekend hanging out with her friend and doing big girl stuff. Then she’d get upset at the end of the day when wasn’t in my Snap story.

We didn’t do anything particularly exciting, but spending time together in perfect weather is really enough to make a three day weekend worthwhile.

I think one of the most fun things we did was play a big game of hide and seek in the house. Jack hid behind his own hands, put a book in front of his face and tried his best to stay still in back of the curtains. Mazzy hid under the covers and was so still, we honestly could not find her. That’s a first.

Otherwise, we went to the beach.

Harlow picked up a seashell, put it to her ear and said she could hear the ocean. I was like— we are standing right next to the ocean…

Isn’t it funny how little kids pick up on things and you have no idea were they got them from? My money is on Bubble Guppies.

We relaxed in the hammock.

We went on the swings. Mazzy can now get up into this position all on her own. Thank you, gymnastics.

We sipped cocktails while the kids ate dinner.

Grammy came over.

Mike took Harlow kayaking.

We made friends with the newborn baby swans that live in our creek.

We did bedtime routine altogether— bath time and story time. Then Mazzy and Harlow put up a fuss when they realized Jack wasn’t actually allowed to sleep in bed with them.

We ate Mike’s cooking after the kids finally fell asleep. Over the course of the weekend, he made steak, ribs, mussels and linguine with clams.

And we got really upset when my sister’s family had to go home. There’s a photo of Harlow crying on my doorstep as Jack and Neve drove away. I’ll spare her the public humiliation and post this one instead.

Lastly, we toasted my book. I had the hard copy at the house and Friday night, my sister started reading it at the dining room table after our husbands went to bed. I can’t tell you how happy I was every time I heard her laugh. She continued reading it throughout the weekend pointing out her favorite parts and laughing over stories she remembers but that I have never written about before.

I’d like to say here that my sister has been amazing when it came to the book. She was understanding about the time it took me to write it and helped in every way she could— volunteering to stage photos I needed and handing over pics of her kids to make sure they were included. Then she sent an email out to all her friends to tell them to buy it. Thank you, sis. You are seriously the best.

All in all, it was a wonderfully relaxing weekend with the publishing of the book finally behind me and the promotion still far enough in front of me that I got to be present and enjoy my family.

I mean, it wasn’t really relaxing. There were four children under six involved.

But at least they are all pretty damn cute.

Especially that ovary bursting baby.

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If you want to see real time photos and videos of my family, follow @mommyshorts on Instagram and ilanawiles on Snapchat.