Is there anything sweeter?

I always thought I didn't want children.

My baby cousins have completely changed that for me. One is 4 and the other is 11. I'm not going to divulge their names, they are obviously too young.

I can still remember when my Aunt(different mother from the younger one) was pregnant with the oldest. I was so excited for the baby to be born. We all thought she was going to be a boy. That changed when my grandmother called screaming, "IT'S A GIRL!! IT'S A GIRL!!" It still makes me laugh thinking of grandma jumping and screaming.

Now she is a girl of 11, soon to be 12, as she has started reminding me. I can't believe how much she is and has grown. Everytime I am around her I am astonished by her. How could this little girl who would dance around her mother's living room grow into such a beautiful girl, on the verge of womanhood? It makes me feel old, and I haven't yet hit 25.

She is so smart and she is beautiful. The coolest thing about her? The way she makes me feel as if I am the coolest person on the planet. She recently got a cell phone and texts me constantly. It annoyed me at first, but I now I love receiving those annoying forwards that she insists on sending me and everyone else in her phonebook. In addition to texting me she calls me asking me if I can have a sleep over with her. How awesome is that?

I didn't get to experience my youngest's first year and a half. Now she is around quite frequently. She is so rotten and sweet. To me she looks like a little fairy. Everytime we are together she wants to play some kind of game. Most of the time its me running around wherever we are picking her up yelling "ha ha! I got ya!" Then setting her down amidst her giggles and starting all over again. Or its playing pretend. She has helped me remember how much fun it is to make things up (I never forgot, just out of practice for a little while.)

Both of my cousins get excited when they see me. I will grab them in a big hug and they give me a big hug right back. I love how to them I am so cool. It's funny. I don't really care that much if people think I am cool or not, but seeing the love and admiration in their eyes means more to me than anything. Is this what it's like to have children?

I love them as if they were my own children. Honestly? They both have me wrapped around their fingers- all 20 of them! There isn't anything that I wouldn't do for either of them. I would be there for them at the drop of hat- no questions asked. I didn't think it was possible to love a child this much- especially two that aren't mine. But it is and continually amazes me.


I love my girls. They have showed me that yes taking care of children is hard and demanding (a night with one of them is exhausting, I can't imagine a night alone with both!!) But their unconditional love has given me a small glimpse of the beauty of having a child. I now look forward to having my own someday.

I hope that my girls have the relationship with my children that I have with them. My hope is that they get to experience the crazy and endless love and joy with my children that I experience with them.

If you don't have this in your life I suggest volunteering or becoming a mentor so that you can experience the endless joy that loving a child brings.

Until next time, don't forget to play pretend...