January 13, 2012 I love you, Auntie Kim!

Dear Noah and Dylan,
    I am still enjoying you both so much and thanking my lucky stars I have been gifted with two nephews that I get to spend  all this time with.  The timing has been perfect, that I retired early enough that I could have this year before you are in full day kindergarten next year and the time starts ticking away before you are old enough to show more interest in all your friends than your sappy old aunt and uncle! :-)
    Yesterday was a wonderful day.  Your dad dropped you off around 9:15 (after I was in a panic since he was late and hadn't answered cell phone)  Uncle Joe was home and i started a fire to keep us war during the raw rainy/slushy storm we were having, first nor'easter of the winter, but still no show.  Your dad always has a hard time leaving...separation anxiety, but I kicked him out with the excuse he needed to move his car so my friend Maryellen could pull into driveway.
     You were both so happy to see Uncle Joe since he is almost never here when you come on school days!  Shortly after Daddy left, Maryellen arrived with her friend Di and Oran.  We had coffee and talked up in the loft while the three of you built towers with blocks.  We had four dogs up there, too! (Ruby, Jack, Cuddles and Daisy.)
     We all migrated to the kitchen to make pumpkin muffins with Maryellen leading the way.  Everyone helped in some way but Dylan and Oran got bored shortly afterwards and took off to play upstairs.   When the muffins were ready we all watched Shaun the Sheep together and hooked our guests right in since they'd never seen it.  With their Irish heritage, they were particularly impressed.
    When they left it was nap time after wrestling with Uncle Joe a bit.  I got on the computer for a bit and heard you both calling to me for help getting ready for nap.  Uncle Joe didn't know the routine.  I love hearing you say my name, "Auntie Kim!"  It really is music to my ears.  And when you leave with your mom and run back to kiss and hug me and say "I love you Auntie Kim" I just want to MELT!
Love always and forever, even if from up on the moon someday while you are on Earth!
PS. After your nap, we tried to play one of the Memory games you got for Christmas. It's for 3+ but it was way too hard for you both.  just too frustrating even when I reduced the number of cards to 20 (from 72)  Dylan had the worst time, just beside himself whenever Noah did get a match.  We tried to play Chutes and Ladders last week and that was disastrous, too. It was a frigging disaster when I played it with second graders!  Very hard to figure out where to go next-left or right and no room on the squares for the bloody markers.
     I was just on the computer when I have been transcribing your fist year of journal entries, now into the second year ad thought I might start alternating going forward and backward in time or would that be too confusing. Instead of just writing here ad then later trying to catch up to present on the blog?  When I got off the computer, I saw a few of your action figures on the edge of the bookcase and I just smiled.  Although last night I was ready to strangle you both when I went up to the loft and saw four baskets of toys all over the place.  I will be getting better at having you pick up before you leave!  At least you didn't write all over the wall (Noah) and window sill (Dylan) as my Facebook photos and videos will attest to with the Mystery of the Letter E and Noahs confession. :-0