Here's the Deal...

It's been a while since I've blogged, and even longer since I blogged about my adorable nephew (who will be three this June). The latest thing he does, presumably learned from his parents, is that he makes deals. The bedtime ritual goes something like this:

parent: Time for bed
kid: Okay, here's the deal, Mom. I play for 10 more minutes then go to bed.
parent: No, I don't like that deal.
kid: Okay, I play for 5 more minutes then go to bed.
parent: That's a fair deal. Shake on it? Remember, if you shake on it, it means you have to do it. That's a promise.
kid: (kid shakes hand)
parent: do you see the big hand? it's on 7, when the big hand is on 8 that means it's time for bed. Do you understand?
kid: (actually goes to bed without a fuss after 5 minutes!)

If my sister could describe how she has been able to produce such a savvy and well-behaved kid, it could earn her millions in book royalties!

The best part was the next night when his father was putting him to bed. He didn't know about the whole "big hand on the eight" five minute deal and was shocked when James said: Okay, here's the deal, Dad. When the big hand is on the 8, then I go to bed. I'm sure he was even more shocked when his son dutifully trotted off to bed five minutes later.

I don't want readers to mistake my awe at the logical mind of my three-year-old nephew as some sort of maternal yearning on my part. My biological clock is still a sundial at night. I enjoy being able to play the cool auntie who teaches him neat stuff. I get to enjoy the funny anecdotes and can commiserate with the frustrating and bad stories via the phone many miles away. It's the best of both worlds!

And next week, he will have a little brother or sister! I am excited to finally find out whether I have a niece or nephew. I'm probably more excited that I will be spending time with my sister and family next week. It's one of the things I cherish most about my family. We (for the most part) enjoy each other's company and celebrate our family during events like this or even just routine holidays.

I'm not sure how to end this post without sounding like a complete sap or Hallmark card, so I will end with a link with some jokes.