"Into the heart of a child, I stay a while . . ."

song: Into the Heart

Many of you know that I have 3 older sisters who are 15, 18, and 21 years older than me (and a younger brother who’s 3 years younger).
This puts me closer in age, really, to my sister’s children . . .

My nephew Chris called me at work yesterday, and as a master of disguising his voice, claimed to be “Walter” looking for a job.
I’m on to him, now, though . . . I asked him a question or two before exclaiming, “CHRIS! You have a job!” and he couldn’t hide behind the chuckle that escaped him.

He’d just dropped his wife, Wendy (my friend/niece = 'friece'), at an appointment across the street from where I work and we made plans to all go to lunch after. They had 2 of their 3 children (the ones too young for school) with them . . . darling 1-year old Emmy and 3-year old ‘Guy Smiley’ Maddox.

When it was time to leave the restaurant, Maddox stood on the edge of the booth seat where he’d been sitting beside me.
“Schen-fer,” he called, arms extended toward me. “I want you tuh hoe-wd me,” he said. I gladly obliged and grinned at him as he leaped off the edge into my waiting arms. I kissed his temple through his long, brown, sideswept hair and tried to calculate the amount of time I’d actually need as a head start to successfully ‘nephew-nap’ him.
Considering there was no way I’d make it out the door with him AND Emmy in time, I’ve put those plans on the back burner . . . gotta wait for a weekend, anyway, so I can be assured to have a chance at Kyler, too! Haaa!

As we walked toward the door, Maddox’s arms resting on the tops of my shoulders, we passed by the hostess.
“Awwww, he must be yours. He looks just like you,” she said, smiling.


I don’t know where she got that. At all. But . . . hey, Maddox sure is adorable, I’ll take it!

And speaking of ‘taking,’ . . . the quick calculation concluded: 45 seconds before they realize I’m gone, another 10 to realize, ‘So are the kids!’
45 more for them to formulate a plan . . .

That’s over a minute-and-a-half I might have on them . . . might be worth the risk . . .