Morning: Uncle B and Aunt K drop in on their way up north. B’s and K’s son is the current national ski jumping champion, but for everyone in the family, of course, they’re just B and K, with their son K.

We drink coffee, eat cookies, chat about a little of everything.

Babcia decides she needs to take a picture of us. It takes a little while.

“What do I press?” It’s a fair enough question: our camera has buttons everywhere, probably too many for the job most of the time.

“Where do I look?” More time. Sweet Babcia — technology is just not her thing. She’d live in the nineteenth century if she could.

We’re all set: Babcia presses the shutter release . . . and holds it down. Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash! Five quick pictures, and by the last one, we’re all laughing, even Babcia.

Afternoon, D and A bring the three cousins. L, S, and D are soon holed up together watching cartoons. What else is there to do when it’s eleven degrees Celsius (51.8 Fahrenheit) outside?

After lunch, we all take turns talking to K and E via Skype. It’s a bitter-sweet moment: K and E should certainly be here with us, but vacation and such being what it is, it’s just not possible this time.

Evening: the three girls put on a show for Babcia. There’s acting.

There’s singing and smiling.

And of course with L there, dancing.

And thus begin three weeks together with the cousins.