Lately with Aunt Linda

Sweet Linda has been at it again and loving my children in such a sweet way. In the context of a conversation, she asked me one day if I believed that she spent time with Little because she wanted to, not because she felt like she should or it was doing me a service. I replied that I believed she started spending time with Little to show love for me; now she spends time with Little because she loves her. In my mind, this makes it all the sweeter. I love Aunt Linda!

In December she took both (yep, BOTH) Little and Bubba out for lunch and shopping at Walmart for Angel Tree gifts. I had explained to the kids that Aunt Linda needed to buy gifts for a 5 year old boy and 5 year old girl who weren't going to get presents this Christmas, and she asked if Little and Bubba could go along to help her know what the children might like. We brainstormed ideas - which consisted of my special children repeating that the boy would like "cars" ("Anything else, Bubba?" Reply, "Cars") and "she will want a computer. The girl would like a computer." ("Maybe a doll?" Reply, "Certainly. And she might want a new computer.")

Linda took the kids to McDonalds for lunch and an hour in the Playland and then on to Walmart where Bubba put EVERY car he liked into the buggy. To hear Linda tell the story is classic. She shrugged her shoulders and let him do it. Then she explained that they could only choose TWO. They went and laid everything out on the floor in the aisle and he walked up and down and chose two cars for the mystery five year old. He then put the rest of the cars back on the shelf. (Insert deep sigh of approval and head shake just because that might never really happen so easily again.) After a "no" to a new computer and encouragement from Aunt Linda to choose a doll and an outfit (for the doll), the group came back to our house to wrap the gifts together.

That Sunday Aunt Linda met the kids in the hallway and they went to put the presents under the Angel Tree. SO FUN.


Aunt Linda rang the new year in with an afternoon at the Symphony. . . with Little.
There was a screen with Disney movie clips running while the Symphony provided the soundtrack. Linda says that Little sat still until the last 15 min. At that point she let it be known that she was ready to go home now. Linda's words to me were, "We had sat through all that and I was NOT leaving right before Lion King." Cracks me up. They stayed and it was all wonderful.

We are just so thankful for Aunt Linda.

Thank you, Linda!