Nick NAC

What is it about teenagers? Just what happens to the sweet kids we all know as they approach their pre-teen years and then go on to become teenagers?

For me, it was hard not to take it personally as each of my much loved nieces and nephews slowly distance themselves from me, until sometime around 12 years of age, they're so far off they are asking "Auntie Who?"

Even though it's been decades since I was a pre-teen, I do remember thinking that I could not wait to grow up, and I felt much older than my years. I figure my nieces and nephews feel much the same way as they approach their teens and beyond.

My nephew Nick is now 15. It's hard to believe because those years have gone by so quickly. As a typical teenager, he's not really happy with much. School, his cell phone, his Auntie taking his picture and probably much more than I'm aware of. It's a tough age, no longer a boy, not yet a man.

When he was almost 2 years old his parents wanted to go away for their anniversary and I offered to take Nick overnight. Veronica was going to be there so I thought we'd have a great time, and we did, until it was time to go to bed. Nick wanted to go home, he wanted his parents, his bed anything but staying at Auntie's house. So Roni and I made a tent in my living room at Mr. Cooper's house. We used enough blankets and furniture to fill the entire room. It kept him busy for awhile, climbing around with Roni and Hooke and me. I thought we'd all sleep under there and it would be an adventure. The only adventure that night was me trying to calm and soothe a little boy who was very upset. I held him, rocking him on the bed for hours as he sobbed and hiccuped. I tried to make him understand (without much success) that the sooner he fell asleep the sooner his parents would be back. All I could think about as the clock moved from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 am, was that I was driving my Auntie Rita and Uncle Larry to Maine in the morning and returning later in the day. A round trip of almost 400 miles and I would be exhausted. Finally, sometime after 4 am, Nick finally collapsed into sleep on the bed. Roni has fallen asleep under the tent in the living room and after checking on her, I climbed into bed and slept. I think I was happier to see Jack and Dianne in the morning than even Nick was!

Thankfully that was the last little bit of trouble he gave me. He has proven to be quite a funny kid and very entertaining. He's athletic, playing basketball, soccer and baseball as he's grown.

Once when he was about 7 or 8, I was taking him to play baseball and I was so pleased to get a parking space right up front near the field. We pulled in and Nick said "Uh, Auntie, you don't want to park here because the foul balls come out here!" So I moved the car way out in the lot. He was pitching that day and said he would probably hit one of the hitters with a pitch, sure enough, the first pitch caught the hitter right in the butt. I had to laugh at the players, missing the ball when it was hit or thrown to them, throwing over or under to their fellow players. I had forgotten how enjoyable kids can be trying to learn and then play the game.

I'm sure he's a much better player today than he was then. I'm also sure that his mood will improve as he turns 16 next summer, goes into 11th grade, gets a car and continues to find his way through these teenage years. One thing is for sure, his Auntie will continue to admire and love him, no matter what.