I was telling one of my friends about my sister Jeni’s annual tradition of visiting Huck for his birthday weekend and leaving her own kids back home.  My friend nodded and said, “So she’s a great aunt and a bad mom?”  Obviously she was joking about the bad mom part — my sister is one of my mom heroes & has taught me much of what I know in this department — but she was right about the great aunt part.  Huck is one lucky kid!

Since Huck’s birthday fell on a Wednesday this year, we got to celebrate with Aunt Jeni for several days after.  While this made the birthday event seem never-ending and rather exhausting (so much lemon-lemon cake!), it was of course the stuff that the very best memories are made of.

And as if all of Huck’s birthday excitement wasn’t enough, our movie “An Ordinary Family” finally got its New York City premiere last week, and so Jeni and I pretended we were young and energetic and traipsed out to Rerun Theater in Brooklyn for the encore show at 10PM on her first night here.  (The first show was earlier in the week and sold out quickly thanks to some really eager and supportive friends.)  Look how wide awake we are here!  (Especially my neck bones!)

And as if the birthday and the movie weren’t enough to ensure our desperate need for catnaps, we joined Huck at his all-school ice skating field trip in Central Park on Jeni’s first full day here.  We like to remind her that this is, indeed, the city that never sleeps and always has achy feet.

And then there was our annual Indian dinner far away on the lower east side where Huck got to try out his newfangled glasses straw that made him look exactly like a totally bonkers (and thirsty) scientist.  There was also the annual Indian restaurant birthday song/siren/light show that always makes Jeni laugh so hard she looks like she’s in pain, which is the goal.

And while we’re at it, why don’t we just go ahead and throw a little birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese?  So relaxing and quiet!  Huck began planning this party last April while celebrating another friend’s birthday, and I’m happy to say it lived up to his expectations, although he nearly got a paper cut on his eyeball in the Ticket Blaster.

And then there were, as always, the wonderful ordinary moments of posing in silly glasses, reading optical illusions books, practicing Roman Numerals, drinking coffee in the sunshine, eating chilled Rolos, climbing rocks, arguing with the toilet, and playing “Keep the Wipe in the Air.”  Also the stuff fine memories are made of.

And since all good things must come to an end, here we are on Jeni’s last day, walking through Ft. Tryon Park to Muscota New School.  I always feel a pang in my heart when I see Jeni and Huck kiss and hug goodbye.   But lucky for us, the whole Tackett clan will be coming to visit in a few short weeks!  I better start napping now.