I am convinced my cousins are the funniest kids in the entire land. They are 9 and 10 years old, and from Toronto. Each year around this time they make the long trek up here to go camping at the cabin with the family. It's then that we introduce them to trees and mosquitos and spiders and deer ticks, mice, leeches and bats, and all the kind of stuff that makes for good nightmares with little children.

It was my mom's intent to "toughen them up" by bringing them here originally. Soft, poor, Toronto children, who's yuckiest experience involved finding week old cookies under the bed. Although my mother had a noble cause at first, I believe that the children reacted to the outdoors so hilariously the first time they were here, that all other trips to bring them down were not for the good of the kids, it was mostly for the pure entertainment factor.

So last night I went to see them before they head off on another wilderness adventure.

We gathered at my grandmother's house, and I noticed that the pincherry tree in the backyard was ripe for the snacking. Standing under the tree with a big grin on my face popping tart cherry after cherry into my mouth, I felt like a kid again.

Tanner, the 10 year old, walks up to me.

Him: Whatcha doin'?

Me: Eatin' pincherries. Ever tried them? *hands one to him*

Him: *looks down suspiciously at the round, red fruit* Hey...aren't these the POISONOUS kind?

Me: These are not poisonous. I am not trying to kill you.

Him: *pops the cherry into his mouth. Two seconds later makes a face only seen in comic books* Pthui! Pah! Pth! Ptttttthui! These taste like junk!

Poor guy. I think he's suspicious of all of us down here, after hanging out with my mom and stepfather. I mean, there's nobody more deceiving to little children than them.

Kids: What's that on the rock? Is that a spider? OH MY GOD IT'S A SPIDER THE SIZE OF MY HEAD!

Mom: Nooo, no. It's just a shadow. A shadow on the rock. Hey, let's go swimming!

Stepfather: Hey kids, wanna play a FUN GAME?

Kids: Whoa! YES!

Stepfather: Let's go change all the MOUSETRAPS!

Kids: We're bored.

Mom: What did you just say?

Kids: We're boooooored.

Mom: Wanna watch t.v.?

Kids: We have t.v. here??? YAY! Let's go!

Mom: *walks kids to the window* Look!

Kids: What? Trees?

Mom: NATURE is our t.v.!

Tanner has a sister named Teri. And she's going to be an actress someday. I am convinced.

Me: You're going to be an actress someday. I am convinced.

Her: WHAT? NO! I'm going to be....a CHEF!

Me: Oh! You like cooking?

Her: Yes! I loooooove it!

Me: What do you cook?

Her: Nothing!

Me: Nothing? Then how do you know you love it?

Her: I invented my own recipe for chocolate chip cookies!

Then I showed her my ring Ryan got me.

Her: Oh! Oh! It's so pretty! Can I try it on?

Me: Sure.

Her: *flounces away with ring* I...I am MARRIED! *flips her hair to the side* But where is my dear husband? The one who got me this beeeeeeeautiful ring? Oh! I remember! It brings a tear to my eye! He's off to WAR! *sobs in her hands*

Yep. She'll be an actress yet.