| Let me be the first to say that I happen to be the most proud Aunt Audra in the entire universe! Throughout these past couple of weeks here, in Georgia, I have begun to bond with my two nephews, Michael and Aaron, in ways that I never really have with any other nephew of mine.
Michael is a drop-dead gorgeous, curly, blonde-haired, brown-eyed guy with a grin that curls up at the corners and shows off his unforgettable dimples. He doesn't talk too much, but he's terribly affectionate. He and I have really hit it off and have "buddied up", as my sister likes to put it.
Why am I so proud of him? He went "pee-pee in the pot" the other day, all by himself. Needless to say, he's almost two and I just adore him. Tootsie says that he's begun to talk a whole lot more since I moved in; he's a bit behind in his speech, but I like to think of him as one of those genius kids who knows way more than he's ever going to let on.
Aaron, on the other hand, is three years old and is the spunkiest little guy that I have ever met. His talents include the ability to belch, fart, or perform any other bodily function associated with gas, on command. Aaron's also way smarter than I ever was at three years old; he knows the alphabet better than I know my own social security number, and his sense of humor is witty and constantly unpredictable.
He's just beautiful to look at, also. His eyes are deeply set, powder blue marbles that have a smile of their own. And that little smirk that he has, with those pouty lips makes my heart melt; as much as he acts up, I still cant see how he can manage to get as many spanking as he does, being as cute as he is.
Tonight, after I gave the boys a bath, I tucked them into bed and told them a story. Afterwards, I asked Aaron to say his goodnight prayer and I couldn't help but chuckle at how innocent and genuine it was.
"Dear God, thank you for the day and all the airplanes. Please bless our soldiers who are fighting, and the "Bushes", and all the mechanics. Heal the sick, and all the broken airplanes. And help the mechanics fix the broken airplanes. And bless Mom and Dad too. Amen"
I moved here with the belief that children were a bother, annoying, obnoxious, irritating, and all the other words synonymous with these, but weren't to be found in a Thesaurus. I thought I hated kids before, thinking that they were stupid little creatures with snotty noses and tangly hair.
But I realized that what I really didn't like was how I was, as a child. Maybe not all kids are like I was! These guys sure have proved my generalizations and stereotypes to be wrong. God Bless 'em.
And all the broken airplanes too.
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