Having Katie

Since our two week vacation ended and we were making the drive back home to boring old regular adult life, I thought I would take a few more weeks of our summer and mix it up.
My brother has three kids between 6 and 12 years old. Leaving Alabama with one small center space between the car seat  and the booster, I thought we could fill it and our time home with a little more family.
When we lived in California people came out of the woodwork and from the hills to visit even though where we lived was…. Well it was not much to visit. Since we have been in South Carolina for two and a half years, other than my mother a couple of times to help with kids while I went out of town and my husbands parents pretty regularly… No visitors. Other than the strangers we host from time to time via couch surfing. No siblings, friends from home, cousins, etc. And we live 30 minutes from two different and popular beaches.
So I said to my brother and sister in law that if any of the kids were interested we would love to have them for a couple of weeks and we can meet back up in the middle to get the home.
My niece was so excited. But soon after she got to our house I realized she may not like it here. At home they have 12 acres, fourwheelers, pets, gardens, and a pool. Tons to keep a kid busy and because they live in the country a nine year old girl can come and go as she pleases between her home and get grandparents home (sharing the property).
She didn’t understand that we lived on Marine base or that Marines aren’t army for that matter. Our yard, the front is 90% fire ants and the back isn’t a quarrel acre and shared with my neighbors and not to mention a steep hill so playing ball sports aren’t the best. She didn’t know how much more humid and hot it was here. We don’t know any of our neighbors and dont do too much close to home.
We started by going to the library and enrolling her in the summer reading program. And then I realized the new feat of taking 3 kids everywhere…. So what can we do.
We took her for Thai food after she tasted and liked grocery store sushi.

My daughter loves coconut soup

Then we went on a sweaty tour of Beauforts parks down and uptown.

And the parks here on base…

There were a couple of beach trips to Hunting Island and a couple of pool trips too.

This one she passed her swim test while I bit my nails and secured her insurance card. She enjoyed the slide and braved the diving board for her first time.

She went with me to the salon and then her first trip to Ulta. I gave her chores while she was here to earn more money and she bought some temporary pink for her hair.

We drove to Savannah for macarons. Which she also bought herself extra.
We went to port royal to the wetlands and to the beach. Wish my cameras had batteries because we got to see some cool baby gators.
Last day we went to the Water Festival where we went to eat at Plums and the almost got landed on by the sky divers.
It’s hard because kids get bored. She is older than my two so I was nervous about everything being so young.
I could remember going to stay with my grandmother, aunts, cousins, or just anyone who would take me. I was such a curious child who always wanted to experience a life other than the one at my home. I liked to see how others lived and my parents never took me anywhere. Her parents are more fun than my parents were. I am hoping she had enough fun to talk my brother and sister in law to come.
Having company always gets you out of the house more.