I didn't grow up with my cousins near by. The four of us have six first cousins -- three on our mother's side and three on our father's side. They ALL live in South America, so we didn't see them on a regular basis (well, two of our Venezuelan cousins lived with us for a bit after they each graduated from high school while they learned English). So it's with immense pleasure that I see how my children interact with their cousins (all on my side).
In this picture, my son (right) plays Monopoly with his 12- and 13-year-old cousins over Thanksgiving holiday. My son had never played before (I know, I'm a horrible mother), but my nephews patiently explained the rules, and they even tried to explain the complicated machinations of "real estate deals" with him. When my son's Times Square hotel bankrupted his 12-year-old cousin, it no longer mattered that his 13-year-old cousin was still going to win; my son was so, so excited. It was a hilarious and heart-warming sight to behold.
I adore my nieces and nephews. With the exception of my brother Jorge's three-year-old daughter, all four of my kids' cousins were born before I was even married. They are very different from each other, but they all get on, and they are all loving and sweet toward their younger cousins. I hope they stay that way, even as they mature into fully pubescent teens (they're 11, 12, 13, and 14). I don't think they realize how much my children hero-worship them. It's adorable, really. Just another reason I'm thankful my siblings and I continue to uphold our promise to Mami to remain close.
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