I'm back. We'll, I've been back for a while. But after 15 days in Texas, I continued to float around on a cloud for a week, and I forgot about this little blog.
Here's why:
1. My nieces and nephew make me happier than I can really say. They are so cute and so funny. I mean, they are really funny. Especially Jake. Judd took him to the Barber Shop after Christmas. His mom called. "Jake," she said. "What are you doing?" Jake said, "I'm gettin' my wig busted."
He's three. He insists on wearing colored socks, striped socks, socks with stars, socks with stripes. But white socks? Forget it.
2. I gave Madison, Leddy & Jake a Wii. But, my brothers and I played it more. It was fun to get a toy again for Christmas. And I took second in the Christmas Day and New Year's Eve tennis tournament. Judd & Jason, watch out. I'm coming back strong in the spring.
3. The very best Christmas gift arrived in my mom's stocking, and it was the last gift of the day. Judd & Jill are having another baby. And that's going to be so much fun.
Jake says it's going to be a boy, and he's already named him Gus. When asked what if it's a girl, Jake said, "We're not going to talk about that."
4. Madison, Jake & Leddy like to spend the night with Lucy (that's not my mom's name, but that's what they call her.). This time Leddy decided she wanted to sleep with me, which I thought would last about 5 minutes. Nope. All night. Twice. And sleeping with her is sort of like sleeping with a helicopter. She twisted and turned in circles all night.
5. Leddy's a night owl. On night two, we got in bed at 11:30. At 1:30, this almost-three year old finally stopped talking. Here's just one of our discussions.
"Josh!" she whispered.
"What?" I whispered back.
"Jill's gonna have a baby," she said.
"I know," I said.
"There's a baby in her tummy," she said.
"I know," I said.
"How did it get there?" she asked.
"It just happens," I said.
At this point, I rolled over and turned my back to her hoping that she'd stop talking. Or even better, change the subject!
"Josh! Look at me. I want to talk to you!" she whispered. "How's that baby going to get out?"
I figured my first response worked, so I said again, "It just happens."
"Josh, that's not right. Jill has to go to the hospital and the doctor takes the baby out of her," she said.
"Okay. Leddy. Talk to your mama and daddy. I'm just your uncle," I said.
"Okay," she said. A few seconds passed.
"Josh!" she whispered.
"What!" I said.
I forget now what the next story was, but I know for sure I loved every second.