My Nephew is 5, going on 30. I *heart* him, with every fiber of my being. And I don’t mind bragging ~ he is cute as a button, sharp as a tack and smart as a whip! He is a lover, not a fighter and doles out kisses and hugs like they are going out of style. He spells up a storm. It is so cute to watch and listen to him sound things out. He has a great memory and is also quite clever. This year it as all about Pokemon (last year was Star Wars and Transformers). When I saw him at Thanksgiving he was teaching me how to play with the Pokemon Cards. Apparently there are good and bad cards and each has special powers. Funny thing was, I would see him doing this thing he called *sneak attack* and he took my cards. But, wouldn’t you know when I tried that, he would cry "Noooo, Aunt Robin, you can’t do thaaaat." Funny, how he has special rules for each of us. In a shocking turn of events I never did win at Pokemon that day. He beat me every time. Imagine that?
We had our Christmas yesterday. Of course, it was all about when we were going to open the presents. Or should I say his presents. He hurried us up at the table when we were eating. He would go around and say, "You’re almost done", "Hurry up and finish". Granddad Bill (my Dad) had a few scraps of dip left on his plate and my Nephew quickly ran over to give him enough carrots so he would have the tools to finish….quickly.
When it finally became time to pass out the gifts, he would open a present..and before anyone else could get one of their presents open he would ask politely "Could we please open one of mine now?" Then he would open one of his again. We would ask him to pass out gifts to everyone else. He would toss each of us a present, but wouldn’t leave us time to open it before asking…"Can I please open one of mine now?" The kid has a one track mind! Don’t they all?
My Brother(his Dad) plays The Claw with him. You know, of Jim Carrey fame in Liar Liar. He screams, cries, laughs. It is heartwarming. You just say the Claw to him and his whole face and body stiffen in fear and excitement, he knows what’s coming. My Nephew has no defense…until yesterday that is. Granddad Bill gave him a version of a claw on a stick for Christmas. It operates by putting your hand in the handle on one end and squeezing and then the claw at the other end of the stick, clamps down. Well, you should have seen his face when Granddad told him that it was *his very own claw to fight Daddy with.* His face lit up like a Christmas tree and he glared at his father through squinting eyes and clenched teeth and said "I am gonna destroy you, I will destroy the claw everyday!!!!" He was liberated.
But the best moments were to follow. After presents, the adults sat around the table talking and laughing, while my Nephew retired to the playroom. Grandma Pat (my Mom) had given him a set of Pokemon DVD’s, a set of 9 in all. He was over the moon. He ran right over and popped them in the DVD player, and watched one right after the other. He ran in to us at one point, in the other room, when we were making a little too much noise for him and requested with big wide eyes "Hey guys, can you please keep it down in here, you are too loud?" This was accompanied by a hand motion that resembled the director cutting the end of the scene in a movie. This would happen over and over during the course of a few hours. We were in hysterics every time he did it, which of course, just made it worse because we were even louder.
Now, all along he had been shrieking at different parts of the movies because he was so excited. So Granddad decided to take the opportunity to give him a taste of his own medicine. He went in the other room and said "Hey, it is getting a little bit loud in here, you are making too much noise, can you please keep it down?" To which my Nephew replied, " I can’t help it Granddad, I am makin’ noise ’cause I am so happy!" Upon hearing this honest declaration, the rest of us in the other room sighed a collective "Aaaawwwww." *smile*
Christmas can’t get any better than that can it?
Hope your Holidays are filled with similar fun-filled, heartwarming moments!
Photo: 2007 Family Christmas Card, my Nephew on a water slide