My nephews are better than yours!!

My nephews are better than yours.

Sure, my opinion is bias... but if there were a contest I still think mine would win.

I got to spend the day with my nephews and their Momma, who is one of my favorite people, on Saturday. We shopped and finally made our Christmas ornaments that we were supposed to make a couple weeks back - but I had to go and get the flu. I was down for the count for eight days... first the flu hit me like a freight train and then I ended the week with Laryngitis. Fun times. So, my already full to the brim month has officially gone over the edge... and I am pretty sure I'm right behind it.

So - my adorable nephews... I am not even joking when I say that no matter how mad/sad/whatever I am - my eldest nephew, Jake, can make all of that melt away with one smile. I am pretty sure that half the women at the mall on Saturday could also attest to that. I have NEVER been approached by so many strangers in my life, Jake just sucks them in with his adorableness. Who can resist a two and a half year old saying "Aunty Tanya, where did you go" when you go into the change room... or "Mommy, you make me so happy" when Mommy comes back from making a purchase - seriously, women everywhere were melting around him.

After our shopping adventure we went back to my house to make Christmas ornaments and Jake was so happy to see his Uncle Ron TWICE in one week!! I'm not going to lie, getting a painted hand print from a 6 week old baby - NOT EASY. Getting a painted foot print from a 6 week old baby - IMPOSSIBLE. It was hilariously awkward. Of the dozen we did, only three turned out descent... but that's okay because it allows for a "re-do" when Brett is a bit older. Jake on the other hand couldn't have been easier... in fact I ended up painting his other hand a different color so that he could hand paint some paper after our decorations were made. I love being the fun Aunty that lets you get paint all over the kitchen counter and uses the dinner plates as a paint tray... this I know will become a joke in their later years... because they come from an OCD clean home and the thought of even painting at their Grandparents would bring a laugh or two. I can see it now - "If you're going to make a mess go to your Aunts"!! 

Thirteen days until Christmas... I have six more people to buy for (one of which I don't even know where to start), a custom order of three monkeys to fill, all of my wrapping and I am spending the day decorating my parent's tree with my Mom which has become tradition over the years. Phewf. Even writing that down has got my heart racing a bit because I know that is just "MY" stuff... I am the person in my family that everyone goes to for things (Read: DEPENDS on when they are stuck) so that list will no doubt get larger as the days go by and Christmas gets closer... But at least I put up my tree yesterday and I got to spend one day doing fun things with the two boys who have stolen my heart.

Oh yeah - and I finished up another badass custom monkey this weekend... I'll have to post pictures AFTER Christmas, so that the person receiving this monkey doesn't see him beforehand... Keep your eyes out for him!!