I need a break: A break from political news, poll breakdowns, gaffe responses, vote calculators, and the Right Wing fringe Web sites where I have been spending waaay too much time lately. They are just addling my brain and doing nothing for my spirit.
So. Something completely different.
One of the things that makes me happiest lately is my (still new) job as Auntie Tori. Can I just say? I love it. I feel like I was born for this job, I really do.
I was blessed to have two wonderful aunts (and many great-aunts) of my own, so I have some reputations to live up to, and I’m trying. I don’t always get it right—in fact, as soon as I finish this post, I need to go buy some Boy Scout popcorn before it’s too late—but fortunately my great niece and nephew make the job easier. Even if I weren’t their aunt, I would think these were awesome kids.
Nephew is 10, smart as a whip, but also thoughtful and compassionate. He’s a gymnast, a Boy Scout, and a guitarist. He loves Legos and science, and he wants travel everywhere he can. He already has big plans to show me everything in the Bay Area, including Alcatraz. I can’t wait (although I did make him promise to let me back on the boat). Mostly I’m just tickled by his endless curiosity. Now I find myself trying to think of ways to help keep that fire burning—books, Web sites, silly science-based kits, etc. Sometimes I have to restrain myself from overwhelming him with geekiness.
Niece is almost five. I believe her body composition is about 90% determination. Nothing gets in her way for very long. Her sport of the moment is soccer, and it suits her. She's also at that age where you start sorting girl-stuff from boy-stuff, which means she’s thinking about maybe trying ballet, too. And she loves anything pink. (This could be problematic, as I am instantly suspicious of anything from the Disney Princess Cabal.) Lately she’s developed an interest in cemeteries, and now she wants to visit them with ME. YES. But I draw the line at black nail polish. She’ll have to wait until she’s 13, like everyone else.
What I really love: they're both becoming really interesting people, and I get to watch.
It's way cool, believe me.
