a hello and a goodbye

This morning, we met Cora's new teacher at her new school.  Cora has been anticipating this moment for a while and was relieved that Mrs. Bryan was very sweet to her.  In the car on the way home-

Me: "So Cora, was your teacher like what you thought she would be like?"

Cora: (long silence) "No.  Actually my hypothesis was wrong. So Mama, do you know what that is?".

Me: "Yes I do, actually." (as I had gotten a refresher while overhearing Dinosaur Train)

Cora:  "Why yes.  A hypothesis is a test about what you think someone will be like or how something will turn out.  And today my hypothesis was wrong because I thought Mrs. Bryan would be old, like you." (the teacher is one year younger than me. Nice.)

I wonder if Mrs. Bryan has any idea what Cora has in store for her this year.

***

At least I have my two part trip to cheer me up from that aforementioned conversation, which by the way, I just read to Colin and he laughed at me while looking sheepish and fearful.  

Part I is that Cora and I are having our very first girls trip on an Airplane.  Sure we went to St. Maarten last year with Daddy, but that certainly does not count as for real girl time.  We are heading to Williamsburg, VA where Cora and I will spend a couple of days with just us, visiting Colonial Williamsburg and my alma mater. We will meet up with several of my college roomates and their kids on Friday and I can hardly wait.

Part II is the much anticipated Thakkar family reunion in North Carolina.  Colin's Aunt Didi from India is joining us as is Colin's brother and his girls and his twin sister with her twin girls, who are only a month younger than Cora.  If you are keeping track, you will have noticed that it will be Allen and the five girl cousins, which will make for a very interesting week.  Anyway, it will be wonderful to finally get to play together as we all live on opposite sides of the country.  Cora can hardly wait to show her cousins her swim goggles for some reason and keeps asking me if I remembered to pack them along with her books so "she can do reading on the plane".

So the goodbye happened this evening when my parents took Allen, who will be driving up to NC with Colin later this week, home with them as we have an early flight tomorrow. We had enjoyed a family celebration of Cora's Birthday (the third celebration this week... we may have overdone it this year) and Cora wanted to walk Allen out to my Mom's car.  

Everything seemed to be going fine when all of a sudden, Cora started loudly sobbing.  I scooped her up and asked her what was wrong?  She said that she knew how much she was going to miss her brother the next three days and wanted to give him another fierce hug and, in between sobs, "Mommy I just love my brother so much."

There are no words to describe moments like these in a family.  I just know that I feel extremely grateful that I have them and that they have each other.  It is amazing to me that such little people have such a big capacity to love. 

Here's hoping their love lasts a lifetime.  Good night!