i (heart) my nieces

it's true, they're adorable -- and so big and talkative and intelligent and coherent now.

it's also really intriguing to watch them grow up. i never had extended family nearby during my childhood; typically, it was actually just me and my mom. but it must be really cool to have an aunt close. and see both sets of grandparents regularly. that must be nice.

both giggle furiously, and both tell me new facts all the time. they poop, they know how to operate the DVD player, they LOVE iphones. one shakes her booty with such passion (a surprising amount of passion for a 3.5-year-old!), and the older one has a flair for the dramatic. but she's also precise. quite the characters. it makes me wonder what i was like at their ages.

this evening, after dinner, we jumped up-and-down, hands linked, and sang off-tune christmas songs. rudolph and frosty are their favorites. two little munchkins plus me; i tower above them a bit, especially while jumping. thank god i'm a kid at heart.

we also quizzed each other on addition and "take-away". they've got math stickers. and i added approx 30 cents to their personalized piggy banks. and we watched recent video footage of their holiday concert at school.

ahh, so adorable. those cheeseballs.