Every once in a while Lucas and Henry will say they want another sibling. That is not going to happen, but that doesn’t mean they can’t see what it would be like.
Their cousin Vivian was at the beach in Hilton Head with us. She flew home and then two days later decided she wanted to come to visit for longer. She flew by herself from California to North Carolina and stayed for two weeks and a half weeks.
Flying as an unaccompanied minor is a process. My dad and I drove an hour and a half to Charlotte to pick her up. I had to wait in line and get a gate pass, go through security and wait at the gate. The minors are the last people off the plane. For her flight home, we had to take her through security, wait with her until she boarded, and then wait for her flight to take off. It was all worth it. We had a great time.
We decided that Vivian would be an honorary Watkins while she was staying with us. We kept her on her toes while she was with us. She participated in the Watkins Academy (what we call our learning adventure), tennis lessons, track practice, shopping trips. Lucas, Henry, and Vivian built forts and watched movies together. They debated hot topics like should parents make kids do chores and gun control. They even occasionally fought like siblings.
This was the most time we have spent with Vivian. It was nice to really get to know her. She is smart, funny, and creative. She spent hours drawing and playing the piano. She wrote and directed a short play that the boys and their cousin Greta acted in.
We were sad to see her go, but we will see her again at Thanksgiving!
