Cavanaugh New Years Bash - Part 2

After Christmas, Scott and I braved the six hour drive to LA to visit my brother Matt's family and my parents who were visiting from Alaska. The drive started out a little rough as it was quite windy. We had to maneuver around a rogue bucket that had been stranded in the middle of the freeway and an array of gigantic flying tumbleweeds.

Finally, though, we made it into Burbank, where my brother lives two blocks from any major television studio, and the niece fun began. I have three nieces: Meghan, Mackenzie, and Casey. All three are adorable and have the most creative imaginations!

Some of my favorite Cavanaugh niece moments include:

-I wish I could have accurately captured in photo how distraught little Casey would physically become when she couldn't get her way.  Often, Casey would maneuver over to the adult nearest the Christmas treats and ask them to pick her up. She would then point out what she wanted, and most of the time we would have to tell her she needed to wait until after a meal. Once you put Casey back down the floor, Casey's head and shoulders would flop down, with her hair covering her face and slouched back. Casey would then walk out of the room that way, like a Schulz character creation.

-The girls love Scott! They would follow him around, ask him to play dress up and hide and seek (see blurry condensed video), and want to sit next to him at every meal. At one point, Mackenzie was talking to Nana (my mom) and telling her that she wanted to be Nana's "cuddle bug" for ever. Then Scott came in the room...

Mackenzie said, "Uh, I changed my mind!" She turned to Scott, "I want to be your cuddle bug forever, Uncle Scott."


-Meghan was playing doctor. She had written on a fake prescription pad "Meghan t-he doctor" and when a patient entered her "office" she would instruct them to read her credentials. Then she would ask you what you felt was wrong, how and when the pain started, and gave you some medicine that "might" make you better in a couple days. She had a surgical mask and all the right pretend tools.

Mackenzie and Casey can't help but follow everything their great big sister does, so Casey took over as my physician giving me a series of shots and taking my blood pressure. Mackenzie donned her scrub suit and walked over to Papa (my dad).

Mackenzie asked, "Papa, what do you need from Dr. Mackenzie?" "I have an ache in my shoulder." Papa said. "Its been there for about a week."
"An egg?" (Sounds a lot like ache when Mackenzie says it, and apparently Papa's ache sounded like egg."

"Okay. Can you bend your shoulder like this?" Mackenzie demonstrated and Papa followed. Mackenzie then took the scissors and clipped at Papa's shoulder. Then she asked Papa to hold out his hands, in which she placed the pretend substance.

"Now say 'Quack Quack!'" Mackenzie instructed Papa.

Papa had successfully incubated a duckling. It was a medical miracle!