C is for Tootie!

My Boo Thang and I went to the ATL over the Thanksgiving weekend to visit his family. As we approached the house the blinds were cracked open to reveal small piercing eyes (8 to be exact), like some Stephen King horror film that included a corn field. We came in and greeted the family and 4 small children, two girls and 2 boys. They were shy and a bit standoffish at first but as we allowed more time to pass the non stop questions began. There is nothing more tough and more honest about the questions children ask. I always feel like I am being accused of something I am not quite sure I did or didn't do. As we settled the personalities came to light. One very prim and feminine (the eldest girl who is 9 years old in case you were wondering), and the eldest boy very active and filled with curiosity about the world and how things around him function and believes adults should have all the answers and will quickly put you to shame if you don't (he is 6), the youngest girl only 4, who has the imagination of a young British girl who falls into a hole chasing a bunny rabbit and lastly we have the smallest a baby boy who walks around the house shouting and yelling out orders like an Army General who only speaks in gibberish. We played make believe, 21 questions, helped with homework, and pretended to be ninja assassins during the long weekend. My favorite part was when the 4 year old told me to leave the restaurant and come back in like a proper customer and ask for my food and not take it out of her tray she so neatly displayed with miscellaneous objects that included a car, plastic pie, blocks, and plastic shape hearts. I was instantly transported to a time I had long forgotten, playing tea time and speaking with British accents with my cousins and brothers and singing in my girl group and making up songs that rhymed with best friends, love, and hugs. I got a little carried away as I continued to put on a plastic nose and glasses against the 4 year old's wishes and made her cry. I was back in her good graces about 5 minutes later  as she gave me the thumbs up before bed time. I felt like a jester at their beck and call vying for their attention and even hopped around like a monkey and sang C-is for cookie as the four year old sang along "C-is for tootie". I may have taken a bit of a risk sliding down the kid's slide and going on some metal spinning contraption I almost fell out I was so dizzy just to gain their approval and would do it all again to see the smiles, giggles and thumbs up I received in return. I hope it's not to long until we meet again and dread the day they become preteens locked in their room to cool to hang out with their aunts and uncles who are now lame and old running around asking them 21 questions and telling them remember when.