on being an aunt

Being an aunt is the greatest thing ever. Next to being a mom, that is. And why is that you ask? Well:

-Unconditional love from your sweet babies
-Never having to punish or discipline them
-Refining your parenting skills on (unwilling?) participants
-Learning all about what babies and children need
-Watching what to do and what not to do - and taking a mental note
-Always having little ones who yearn to crawl in your lap and snuggle

I'm notorious for never disciplining my nephews. I just can't. When bad behavior pipes up (on a rare, RARE occasion, right, sister?!) I just remind them that mommy will take care of it. And I weasel my way out of punishment. Mwhahahaha.

But, let's get real: time spent with my nephews is so.much.fun. Last week, I may or may not have been caught saying...

Did you poop in your pants? Come here. Let me smell you!

Why did you squirt Kool-Aid on the kitchen wall?

Please get off the train table. We don't sit on tables.

Please don't throw a ball at your brother's face.



And those are some of the more tame statements. Now that I've spent time with a newborn (again), I'm fully convinced (again) that newborns are easy peasy. It's toddlers and older children that require more work. More supervision. More discipline. More poop.

Good thing we're having a newborn in October.


For the past 5 and a half years, people have told me, "You're the best aunt EVER!" Because who else flies home just for a birthday? Scrapbooks their first year of life just because? Never, ever misses a single event in their lives, unless I'm in Virginia? Photographs them, cuddles them, reads to them, loves on them like my very own babies? Plans super fun activities like picnics, water park trips, and ventures to Chuck E. Cheese? That would be me! I love being an aunt :)

And it's so super easy to love them when they're SO deliciously cute.


(For real, couldn't you eat them with a spoon!?)