Crying Uncle!

There are great uncles, and there are amazing uncles, and there are amazing great uncles.  And I'm happy to say we have our fair share of each in our family.

Great Uncle Jim & Faith

My boys grew up with, and still tell stories about, their uncle.  My brother was famous for picking up nephews by their ears.  They learned quickly to grab his forearms and give an assist with the lift - a major pain reliever...  Uncle Jim was also famous for twisting ears to turn the boys on or off.  Hmmm - something of an ear fetish, I guess.  He makes an exception when it comes to little girlie ears, though apparently Faith has heard enough stories to be cautious...

Suffice it to say, though, that my boys learned uncle-ing by example.  Fortunately, my grandboys quickly learned to save their ears with a forearm assist of their own.  But there are other life lessons being taught as well:  

Monster faces

Giggling until milk runs out your nose

How many grapes fit into a 2 yr-old's
mouth at one time.  Answer: 5

When should you take advice from your
uncle when playing games? Never

Yes, indeed, uncles are an important component to growing children.  And as you can see, there is a reason one cries "Uncle!" when you need to get out of a fix and have exhausted all other possibilities.  It's not a cry for help from an older male relative.  Nope.  Truth be told, it's a naming of your superior who possesses chronological strength and cunning.  It's a right of passage - a slow passage from childhood to adulthood.  And no one, it appears, on either side of the generational divide wants it to pass too quickly
.

Oh, and a quick shout out to aunts, too, especially when it's time to turn down the volume.  Thank you, Aunt Emma.  Granma's ears appreciate it!