The nieces solved my naming problem by basically giving themselves nicknames. So, I'm still not going to show pictures of their faces, but I'll show pictures of their shoes, some of which you've already seen.
First up is DJ (a nickname her uncle, the hubby, gave her at our wedding). DJ is 16 and lives with her mom in another city so we only see her on the weekends. She was on spring break this week, though, so we got to have her Monday-Thursday. DJ is turning into a lovely young woman. She is funny in a fun and sarcastic way, and I think she's really figuring some things out for herself after some rough years. Her birthday was a week ago and she is soooo ready to get her drivers' licence. Eeek! I somehow managed not to get a picture of her feet this week, though. Sigh. Although, you might recall this post where she sent me a picture of shoes for my collection.
Next up is Double A (nickname also given by the uncle). AA is 12, soon to be 13 and is the middle child of my brother's family. This means she can be laid back to the point of being a pushover, but it also means she is sweet and incredibly patient. She is awesome with her young cousins, and has always been a good little mama. She has recently discovered drama and done several plays at school. She is currently in rehearsals for the spring play and having a marvelous time. These are her Easter shoes:
The brother's 3rd child is The Bean who is 9. She cracks me up and always has. She is a combination of both her parents as well as both of her sisters. She has a crazy sense of humor, and is a lot of fun. She is usually the one who is up for any kind of spontaneity. She also kills me when it's time to go because she frequently sobs her little heart out when we leave. Oh, sentimental baby. She is our athletic one, and is pretty awesome at softball, which she is playing again this year. You saw her tennies the first day I was home. These are also her Easter shoes (a girl after auntie's heart...I love stripes!):
On to my sister's oldest, Flower, who is 7. Flower was born in China (her name means Flower in Chinese) and came to us when she was 8 months old. She is very literal and practical, but also very dramatic and goofy. She is our inquisitive one, sometimes asking questions to the point of driving us crazy. She's also our most snuggly one. I can always count on lots and lots and lots of snuggles from Flower. Other nieces frequently have to fight for lap time when Flower is around. Oh man, I just realized I haven't taken pictures of her cute boots, either, and she's not here right now. You might have to see them tomorrow. Sheesh, auntie.
And finally, we have Laughter. Her name means laughter, but it is also an apt nickname as the kid cracks herself and us up. Laughter is 2 1/2 and just giggles and giggles. She has an amazing imagination, and continually impresses me with the depth and breadth of her made-up worlds. Laughter was also adopted, this time through Lutheran Social Services in MT. Now that I type that, I remember that only AA and The Bean are biologically related. Doesn't matter to us, we love them all, and love that our family has grown in other ways. You already saw Laughter's boots, but here they are again.
Speaking of children who aren't biologically related, but whom we claim, well there's a lot of them, ranging in ages from mid-twenties to teeny tiny. I'll only tell about the 2 who are around right now. First up is Pippi, who Mom started babysitting when she was 3 months old and I happened to be living at home before I got my first call. She is now almost 6, but Pippi and I have been fast friends ever since, and we did almost everything together that year. She is hilarious and adorable, sassy and smart. At some point, around the age of 2, she decided I couldn't shower alone and has been inserting herself into my showers every time I come home. We generally sing Single Ladies while Showering. You saw her awesome boots already, but here are the slippers she came in this morning. The ears are down until she walks, and then they pop up.
Last but not least is Seec*, who is 4 and Pippi's little sister. I didn't see her much as a baby so we don't have the same relationship as I have with Pippi. She is going through a total sassy pants phase right now, which can be funny and frustrating at the same time. She used to be really quiet, but then she just started talking up a storm and she hasn't stopped since. She has a running commentary on quite a lot of things at Mom's house. She didn't used to want much to do with me, but has warmed up to me since I started bringing the hubby around, because she thinks he is the bee's knees. You've already seen her cute pink shoes:
So there you have it. Nieces, nieces, nieces. There is also a non-related nephew, but I think we'll make that an entry for another day.
*Edited: Seec is now referred to as Tink. Her oldest sister gave her the nickname, and it has stuck, is easier than Seec. So now you know.
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