The Most Random of Random: from blue's clues to facebook...

You may have figured out by now that I absolutely love my family to pieces. Love. Them. To. Pieces. Even though sometimes we disagree, my family is always there for me in the end.

Today started out like any other Saturday. Went to bed late. Slept in. Checked facebook...that's where it all ends. You see, I had a friend request pending. I clicked on the button and saw that it was from my nephew...Scott. At first I thought, oh goodness, he went and created a facebook account on his own. His mother and I had a discussion a couple of months ago about why Scott didn't need a facebook. He'll be 13 in 3 months. That's right...13. In fact, the day after I turn 26. Maybe that's why we're so close. He was due on my birthday but arrived about 11 hours and 34 minutes too late. (Or something like that). Anyway, so you see I had this friend request and of course I accepted it, but the entire time I was thinking, "My nephew is old enough to have a facebook." Lord help us all.

There have been a lot of things lately that have reminded me that he's not the sweetest, cutest, smartest, funniest little 3 year old that I once knew (although, everything really still stands except for the age). Just the fact that he is about to be a teenager speaks volumes...I'm used to thinking of teenagers as kids that were teenagers when I first knew them, I don't like for people to grow up. Especially when they're younger than me and make me feel old. Anyway, so there's that.

He started junior high this fall. Junior high!!! He knows about fractions and all sorts of science stuff that I don't remember. He's learning it. He has to endure that world which I hated. All I want to do is be able to be there and not let him get bullied and for everyone else to see him as I see him. Which, won't happen, but isn't that what everyone wants? For people to love the people they (we) love as much as they (we) love them? (Does that make sense?) Don't we just want a better world/school/life for them than we had? I promise I'm not his mother.

He also attended SOAR this summer. A youth conference put on by the association of which their church is a part. It's for teenagers to grow closer to God and each other. But see, he was finally able to take part in something that had been 'mine' for 13 years. I remember the first time I went to SOAR and here was my nephew doing the same thing all those years later.

All these realizations really just shake my world. Make me realize life's not the same as it once was, nor will it ever be. Even when I move back to Mississippi, things won't be the same. I'm a different person (although not that much different) but I have encountered situations and people that have changed my life in Dallas in two short years. Don't you ever wish for those days back? When you were carefree and the extent of your worries was making sure that you got a red popsicle? (They ARE the best flavor after all).

People grow up. They change. Also the way we treat them has to change. I can't treat the soon to be 13 year old Scott the same way I treated the 3 year old Scott that watched Blues Clues. That and Barney, I think were some of his favorite shows. And I'm not ashamed to say that I watched them with him. When we'd get ready in the mornings I learned about pumpernickel bread. "Yum, yum, pumpernickel, pumpernickel bread." That's how the song went. And I STILL love the mail song from Blue's Clues. When I feel like having a laugh I'll sing it. I tried finding a good video of it but failed. They were either full of kids screaming along or 'remixes' that were quite scary.

Perhaps my most favorite picture ever of my nephew is of him when he's about 2 or 3 and he has on a striped green 'Steve' shirt, khaki pants, and is holding a stuffed Blue that made noises and stuff. Most absolute favorite picture ever.

He'll grow up, go to high school (Lord please help me on his first day of freshman year), go to college (oh no), and have a job and family of his own. But I'll never ever ever forget the little kid in that picture holding that stuffed animal dancing and smiling and laughing.

I just felt like reminiscing about my funny nephew. He really is the funniest 12 year old I know. So sharp. So cute. So loving. I'll leave you with some of my other favorite pictures of him :)