Fighting exhaustion with cousins and fish.

I was mad about missing my flight because it cost me a day with my family, but I was also mad because instead of rolling in at nap time and smoothly transitioning across two time zones, we got in at midnight and I thought Eleanor might sleep in the next morning, because I am an idiot who knows nothing about children. She was up at 5:30 (7:30 our time) and also disoriented and confused so obviously I had to get her instead of letting her murmel herself back to sleep. 

I also thought she'd nap for a long time because I am an eternal optimist, but nay. So when we went to see Joel's family, I told them not to take anything she did personally because she was a fragile, emotional creature.

BUT. It was like when your shy friend gets a little bit drunk and starts chatting with boys instead of sipping ice tea in the corner. It helped to have a cuzzie.

Dat is a Hazel.

And SO MANY RELATIVES around to soothe the beast.

There was a lot of tickling

and bed-jumping

and cackling.

See how drunk she is?

We went to the aquarium, which I think helped stave off Eleanor's exhaustion-rage. You can't stop Eleanor counting things if you tried.

One, two, sree, four, fibe, six, seben…lossa jellyfish!

One, two, sree…TWENTY PENGUINS!

One fish, two fish, one fish, NEW FISH!

My sister's mother-in-law once told me that I would be so proud of my kids I could barf. Watching Eleanor troop through the aquarium with cheer and good manners, knowing how tired she was and how squidgy she is around unfamiliar people and new situations, I wanted to somehow inject into her brain a sense of how proud of her I was.

Cousins in space!

This whole trip so far, with all of its set-backs, she's been friendly and patient, pleasant and fun. I like my little beluga a lot.