Territorial little bugger...

Ah, the love of a child. The most pure, unselfish love a person can receive.

(or buy.)

Now, it's not much of a secret that myself & the Husband are the A#1 uncle & auntie of my sister in law's kids. It could be because auntie isn't much more than a really big kid. Or maybe because the niece has Husband wrapped around her little 3 yr.old finger.

"You want me to shoot myself in the foot, baby? No problem."

Or it could be because anytime we come up, we bring presents.

Hey, i'm not proud. I'll buy their love.

So i told you that story to tell you this one.

I mailed some stuff up to my SIL, and among the goodies were copies of my entries for the Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame. SIL was looking at them, and handing back to the kids so they could look, too (because kids are nosy!).

Then, from the confines of his booster seat, my nephew spews contemptuously, "Who's THAT kid!"

The layout in question is a picture of Husband and my best friend's son, each looking in a different direction. My take on the photo was how my Husband was looking back, possibly remembering when he was Dakota's age. And Dakota, looking towards his future - wide open to all possibilities.

Apparently, the Nephew is quite territorial. There can be no other nephews for my husband. But, my sister in law asks, what about your cousins?

They don't love him like I do, he responds.

Ah, the concept of sharing.

The boy was definitely not happy about there being other kids we love besides himself and his sister. And that spawned other conversations...

SIL's friend comes over for a visit. Come give your aunt Kimmie a hug, she says. The nephew responds with, I'll hug you, but you're not my real auntie - Aunt Valerie is my real auntie.

How to explain that love encompasses lots of people? That the human heart can expand to care about so many people? That regardless of blood, love is love and family is not based on blood lines?

Art Linkletter was right. Kids say the darndest things.