When a sniffling, runny-nosed Milo creature got off the plane in Oakland at almost midnight two weeks ago, we thought a melt-down was perhaps imminent, our bags lost, our ride missing. Little did we expect our beautiful niece Ceci to come bouncing over, pick up her cousin, and make an impossibly tired munchkin smile immediately.

And that set the tone for the week. Milo couldn't get enough of his cousins, chasing them around and around his auntie's house, arms raised to be held, happily snuggling whenever the opportunity arose, eating more, laughing harder and hopefully learning some b-ball skills along the way.

Ceci & Milo: The long and the short of it all...

Ceci captures Nick and Milo