TechyDad and I are both the oldest of two families’ children. His sister has two little boys that are similar in age to our sons, yet we are not very close with them. They live a few hours away, but things are strained at best. My brother has a little girl that is only a few months younger than JSL. They are also about a month away from welcoming a little boy into their growing family. We live about five hours away from Uncle I and Aunt M, but the boys adore them. They talk about Cousin S and Baby Peanut all the time. When they are together, they play really well, even NHL who is almost four years older than the current little ones.
Hubby was not very close with his first cousins; a fact that makes me sad, especially when I see what is happening on one side with our boys. My family was very different. My mother’s brother and his family lived in our city. I babysat them when they were little and was my one cousin’s Secret Pal for years. Although I am not close with them anymore, I have wonderful memories from years gone by. My mother’s sister lived cross country. We did not see Cousin M and D often, but when we were older (and I was not a bratty little kid) we really clicked. I have fond memories of them spending time during the summer here with our Nana and Papa. My father’s sister moved back to this area when I was older. I babysat for Cousin A and J and got to be very close to them. It amazes me that they are college graduates and so grown up. My father’s brother lived relatively close over the years. Aunt A, Uncle J and H, H, B and Y would come here for Thanksgiving and Passover without fail. Those holidays were always special seeing everyone together.
As my boys are getting ready to welcome a new first cousin into the family, my question for this week is:
How many first cousins do you have and are you close to them? For those with children, how many first cousins do your kids have?
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Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the MckLinky there if you are participating.
Aloha #83
My first instinct is to say I don’t have any first cousins but that’s not entirely true. My dad has 2 sisters, one he hasn’t spoken to in over 40 years (though they’ve run into each other at events and didn’t even acknowledge that they knew each other, let alone were related), the other passed away several years ago but they were estranged as well. It’s all my grandmother’s fault, and as I’m sure you can guess, a long story that I don’t even know all the details to. Anyway both of those sisters have kids but I never met the estranged sister’s kids and the deceased sister’s kids I remember visiting in Syracuse when I was little but haven’t seen or spoken to them in years. I think one of them has passed away as well.
What’s funny is the estranged sister’s daughter actually contacted my dad about 5 years ago and they do keep in touch now. Apparently she doesn’t get along with her mom either!
My mom has no siblings but her first cousin is like a brother to her and his kids, my second cousins, who are in their 20s, are very close to us. We spent Christmas with them growing up, and one of them is my niece’s godfather. So while we’re really second cousins we’ve always been very close.
Jon has no first cousins at all – his dad is an only child and his mom’s brother never married.
My kids do have one first cousin, my sister’s 4 year old daughter. Jon’s sisters both hope to have kids someday though.
Wow, that was a long answer! LOL
.-= Nancy T.´s last blog ..WW: Making salad =-.
I have 17 first cousins and I was close with the one’s that are my age growing up (they range from 9 years older than me to three weeks older than my oldest child) but I only really talk to one now. My kids have two cousins who they enjoy playing with but they do not see often enough. They live two hours away and we do not see them on a regular basis.
My children have 6 first cousins.
.-= Jennifer´s last blog ..Booking Through Thursday, 21 January =-.
I have quite a few 1st cousins but am only in touch with one. We are all scattered across the U.S.
.-= Vicki´s last blog ..365 Photo Project 2010: Day 22 =-.
Oh let see I have two on my mom side. None on the dads.
.-= Auntie E´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday- Our Kids Need This =-.
Oh guess I should leave my Aloha Friday link.
.-= Auntie E´s last blog ..Aloha Friday-Weather outside is frightful…. =-.
I have cousins who are alot older and live in Cali! Unfortunately we are not in touch!
.-= Olga´s last blog ..ALoHa FriDaY!!! =-.
I know of 3 cousins but have never met my aunt much less meeting them.
I’ve never met most of my family.
.-= JamericanSpice´s last blog ..Aloha Friday: Outhouse =-.
I have maybe a dozen of 1st cousin but we live all over the place. My kids have 6 1st cousins.
.-= kailani´s last blog ..Project 365: Day 21 =-.
My dad is an only child. My mother is second of four. Her older sister has 9 kids (all but 1 or maybe 2 are married with kids of their own). I’m the oldest of 4 and between the 4 of us we’ve ‘given’ our parents 12 grandkids. The next aunt has 4 kids, and only the middle 2 are married. My youngest aunt has 6 kids, all of whom are married and they all live here in Israel.
Since we don’t have a car we don’t get together nearly as often as I’d like but we’re fairly close.
.-= Kmelion´s last blog ..Thanks to orangebeaver =-.
On my moms side I have 7 first cousins and on my dads side…i truly don’t know there are so many. My girls have 3 boy cousins and a girl cousin…with one more cousin on the way. We hope it’s another girl. My girls and their cousins are all VERY close…more like siblings than cousins. My cousins and I are not very close but I am the baby of 5 kids and we are EXTREMELY close.
http://www.twin-spiration.com
I’ve got five first cousins – three of which I’d consider myself pretty close to although they are a good deal younger than I am (by like 10 years). My children don’t have any cousins yet – my husband and I were the first in our families to have kids.
.-= Jen E @ mommablogsalot´s last blog ..aloha friday: sweet dreams and not so sweet ones =-.
I have only 2 first cousins.. and my husband probably around 7.. as fast i can recall:) Sadly we don’t keep in touch with them.. but we wish we could.. :)
Happy Friday and my Aloha is up too:)
.-= Niky @ Design It Chic´s last blog ..Design it Chic =-.
I have 8 first cousins and I’m in touch with 6 of them.
.-= MadeInCanarias´s last blog ..Aloha Friday #24 =-.
Wow. 16 first cousins and about 75 kids that sprout from them.
.-= sheila´s last blog ..ALOHA !! PLUS…New Follow Friday for Blogs! And check out Blogtrot!! =-.
I honestly don’t know. No I am really not close to my family at all. I get tired of all the drama and the games they play.
Love the pictures :)
I’m the youngest of 4 and hubby is the youngest of 8.
Despite all of that, we all live far away from one another and pretty much are internet dependent. Personally, I think we get along better that way.
Have a great Friday!
http://iamharriet.blogspot.com/2010/01/are-you-walmart-shopper-what-kind.html
.-= Harriet´s last blog ..Are you a Walmart Shopper? What kind? =-.
I am not close to any of my cousins. My family is very complicated so I won’t go into that. My son is close to his first cousins; he gets to visit them a few times. They live a distance away.
http://atticgirl.blogspot.com/2010/01/aloha-friday-sweatin-to-goodies.html
.-= shelly´s last blog ..Aloha Friday: Sweatin’ To The Goodies =-.
I have ten first cousins. We exchange Christmas cards and I see them at family reunion once a year.
.-= JDaniel4’s Mom´s last blog ..Friday Fill-In #160 =-.
I think I have about a dozen first cousins but have lost touch with them all. I have no idea where they are. Last I heard some in Washington, some in Oregon, some in Georgia. Sad.
.-= Deborah´s last blog ..Welcome to FeedBurner =-.
I have 15 (I think). I am not really close to any of them. I do send Christmas cards to some of them and talk to them every so many years. My kids have 6 first cousins.
.-= Melanie @ Whimsical Creations´s last blog ..Aloha Friday #13 =-.
I have two first cousins and yes we are close :)
.-= Thom´s last blog ..What Kind of Fabric Are You? and Brain Stuff =-.
I have four cousins and not close to any of them, in fact I probably wouldn’t know three of them if I bumped into them in the street.
My kids have three first cousins (so far) and we are putting a lot of effort into them getting to know each other.
.-= pam´s last blog ..It’s time for a Shake Over!! {giveaway} =-.
I have 1 first cousin on my mom’s side and 6 on my dad’s side
.-= Becca´s last blog ..Lisa’s Custom Duct Tape Wallets Giveaway =-.