pink panther

I just spent the weekend in Nashville. I really needed a dose of my nephews. They just do my spirit such good. I showed up at my brother's doorstep and rang the doorbell and within seconds I saw little eyes peek through the shades and then Hayden started screaming, "Aunt Alison's here!" Next thing I know, he is furiously trying to open the front door in spite of the child lock that is and has been on the door since they moved in. As soon as Jen opened the door, Hayden was in my arms with a huge smile. The commotion woke up William who them came sleepy-eyed out of his room, took my hand, and said, "Aunt Alison, when you were on your trip, I missed you." Now, that is a heart-warming welcome.

We spent the day together and it was full of sudden, beautiful delights. Like in the car, William said out of the blue, "Aunt Alison, I love you. You are such a nice girl. And you are very pretty." Work it, little guy. He knows how to get the women. And then after reading one of the Clifford books to the boys, William sighed and said, "Aww. That was such a nice book." Oh yes, and then there was the moment when Hayden called Brad's new road bike, "wicked cool." Seriously? Where did he learn that?

But, the best scene of all happened in the kitchen this morning and took place in less than thirty seconds. Hayden was playing with an airplane he had put together when all of the sudden he cried "ants!" and raced over to the fruit bowl. He moved the bowl and started squishing the ants with his bare hands. Once all the ants were thoroughly squished between his fingers, Jen told him to go wash his hands. At this point, William spied his golden opportunity and confiscates Hayden's plane. Hayden returns and screams for his plane and William screams that Hayden wasn't playing with it and so it's okay and then Jen intervened and I just stood there laughing. That's why I'm the aunt, not the mother.