My Crazy Relatives: Seven Days

Dear Mommy,

You would be so proud of me during my vacation with Tita Netty. She told me that you and Daddy were off to the Big Apple to have an adventure. Starting on the first day, she showed me all kinds of pictures of you and Daddy on the computer. She said that Preacher and Sonya are better company than your host, Clementine, and that made me feel better.

On another day I woke up, and all of a sudden Grandpa was there! We ran with a sea of people who wore bells on their shoes. You would have liked it. There were giant snowflakes, reindeer, Santas, elves, fairies running with us. Tita Netty said it was called the Jingle Bell Run, and that we even ran on the free way. Imagine that!

Most days Tita Netty put me to work with Uncle Scotty. I like Uncle Scotty. He makes me laugh when we play peekaboo, and he lets me sit on his blue prints while he works around me. But he won't let me hold any of his tools, says that they're too sharp for me. Whatever! I'm a big girl now, I can sit up on my own.

One night Tita Ain had come over to visit, and Tita Netty made tuna omelet and salted tomatoes, which Uncle Scotty didn't like. So we ended up going to a restaurant where Uncle Scotty got his favorite: chicken parmigiana. It was a very interesting place, lots of strangers gawked at me, saying I was so cute. So I decided to say thank you to everyone by screaming my little lungs out the entire time. I don't know why Tita Netty and Uncle Scotty were in such a hurry to leave. I though everyone said I was cute...

Tita Netty called my doctor's office one day. She was so worried because my snoring kept her up all night. I don't know why Tita Netty fusses over me so much; I tried to tell her over and over again, with my squeals and smiles and enthusiasm to workout that I was just fine. So guess what the nurse told Tita Netty? Just be sure to give her lots of fluid. So Tita Netty stuck a bottle in my face almost every hour. But of course I didn't always drink it all. I've got a figure to watch out for!

Do you remember Tita Netty's friend, Alfonsina? Well, Tia Alfonsina is so much fun! She loves costumes. She thinks I ought to wear a Santa's hat all month long because I'd make such a cute little elf. Tia Alfonsina is from Argentina, which means she's very generous with kisses. Tia Alfonsina also loves being outside. One day she came to the house, and we all went to the playground next door with her two boys. Mommy, one day I can climb a wall like Juan and Diego. I've been doing pull ups with no help!

Finally, on the seventh day, I just couldn't wait to come home to you. I missed you so very much; sleeping on Tita Netty's chest just isn't the same as yours; Tita Netty's voice isn't as musical as yours; Tita Netty is all business and very little play. And I just missed my brother so very much too; Preacher and Sonya are really interesting, but they don't play with me like Kuya Shea does. I also missed Daddy; Uncle Scotty's kisses are too scratchy, and he can't stand it when I make a poopoo, he runs away so fast you'd think a stink bomb just went off. It was fun hanging out with Tita Netty, Uncle Scotty, Preacher, and Sonya...