Good Lawd, This Chitlin Is Fun!

My Delightful & Sweet Nephew Emerson. 

We had a sleepover Saturday night. It was a blissfully nice Minnesota day. The constant wind died down for a full day. We ran in the grass. He coaxed me into playing football with him. He told me "Don't be afraid of the ball, Aunt Tina." to which I replied "Yes, I know. I'm just not used to a foosball coming at my head on a regular basis anymore." "Was I ever?! and then I said "Tina's not afraid of the ball! GREG! It's Greg! Greg is afraid of the ball!" Name that movie!

Give up? "Meet the Parents" when Gay Focker is playing water volleyball or polo. Owen Wilson's character keeps getting his name wrong. Good times.

Yes, folks. This is a guide regarding "How To Take Care of A Baby Dragon." Cool. Emerson played the role of "Sneakers" the baby dragon for a good hour on Saturday night. He really knows how to stay in character. Apparently there are many levels to Dragonhood & while Emerson the 9  year- old boy was hungry, he didn't want to ruin anything by aging his baby dragon self (i'm not kidding!) by eating foods that would take Sneakers to a much older age. See above list. IF Sneakers had eaten say...a few jellybeans he'd be at Level 4 in DragonHood. That meant he'd be 16 years old, if I recall correctly. Because of this, we had to take regular breaks where I'd say "but how about..just for like TWO minutes Emerson the BOY eats a sandwich?" We worked it out. I love his imagination. Having been to design school & having spent life around very creative peeps, I have always said this: Emerson generates more ideas on a daily basis and GOOD ones, than ANY person I have ever known.

Look at that face! This was during a break in TV Tag. I said "how about we take a great candid shot of you happy in front of that flowering tree? If it turns out well, we can blow it up, frame it & it will make a nice mother's day present for your mom? Okay?" He says "Yep!" and this is what I get!

Attempt Two. I told him "this one really looks like you are about to give someone the bird!" He seemed to find that hilarious.

Attempt Three!!




TV Tag was awesome! I lost a lot, but in all fairness..the kid has a tendency to cheat a bit & will bend and change the rules AS you're playing to garner a win. It's sort of hilarious.  During the game, he was throwing out Nickelodeon's best..."iCarly!"  shriek..."Spongebob!"..and then...I ALMOST got him, but before I touched his arm he sat down and yelled "My Strange Addiction!"

Me: (laughing): "What the heck? You are nine! How do you know about that show?" (I've seen one episode where the woman's addiction is eating toilet paper. Okay..two shows..in the other one the woman ate Ajax on a daily basis.

Emerson: "What? I don't know!"

Me: "It's okay..I'm just super surprised. Do you watch that at your dad's?"

I can't stop laughing because it's just so funny, shocking, odd and yes..very random! We let it go & play more of our game. I lost..

Fast forward to our Sunday brunch together at Denny's. His mom (my sister Dawn) shows up as our food arrives. I share the story with her. I'm laughing, she's laughing & looks a bit perplexed that he's ever watched the show. Then as he's eating french toast he goes into his "favorite" episodes of  My Strange Addiction: "The one where this girl had to have everything pink. She went to a restaurant and had them make her eggs pink."  Me: "With food coloring?"  Emerson: "yes!" I'm laughing.  Emerson: "Wait! Then there was also the one where the guy drank gasoline and it showed him at the gas station."  Me and his Mom: "Are you serious?" he goes on to share a few more. Suddenly I realize "Em..did you watch a MARATHON of that show one day at your dad's?"  he says yes.

It was..very funny. Would I have allowed him to watch that show? No. His mom? No. But it happened and his sharing & the subsequent unfolding of it was hilarious to me.

Curtis &  Daisy always end up exhausted during & after Emerson's visits. Same energy level! Lots of playing & running! It makes me realize how much lower my energy level is in general in comparison to a kid's or a dog's. Then I remind myself that it would be A) a bit weird if I were continually running after balls in my yard and B) even more strange if I were to play house, the role of a baby dragon or regularly played Tv Tag with Brad or my best friend. "Brad! Tv Tag..NOW! You IN?"

We polished off all of the green jellybeans after Emerson declared them "the best tasting of all of the colors."

Sho Nuff!


It was fun & I'm always exhausted after he goes back home AND I miss him terribly.



Have a splendid Sunday..what's left of it.

xoxo~

T