Don’t forget:
[li]Got your nose.[/li][li]Quarter behind the ear.[/li]Peek-a-boo.
And let’s not forget the magic separating thumb trick, which is always good for a mild freak out on the young’uns.
-Uncle[sup]3[/sup] ts
Being an uncle as well, I can only say how brilliant it is.
Its great to see them develop their own personalities. My youngest nephew recently turned 3. Last week, we were sitting down watching the news, and he stopped beside me to look at what we were watching.
The news Item concerned physically handicapped children. He turned to me and in a really sad voice said.
“The poor boy! He broke his mouth and can’t eat his dinner”
made me smile.
You forgot crayons. My sis-in-law is going crazy about crayons now. If they keep forgetting to invite their nearbyliving-bachelor-noncooking-alwayshungry-alwaysgrateful brother to dinner ;), I might well get the damn 64 pack for my youngest neice (turns two next week).
If I’d known it meant that much to you, I would have called you “Uncle Manny” any old time.
I’m happy for your brother - adopting is a long, excruciating process with no guarantee of a good outcome.
When my parents got the word about me, my mom (a nurse) was in surgery so my dad had to drive to get me from the social worker and bring me home by himself. My parents were always very open with me about my origins. Years later, when I was about 4, my mom was having some ladies from the town over for tea or something. One of them was pregnant, and they were all discussing how long they had been in labor. One lady said to me “And how long did it take for you to come out of mommy’s belly?” To which I answered: “I didn’t come out of mommy’s belly. I came out of another lady’s belly and daddy brought me home.”
If you ever want to be “creepy Uncle Manny”, wait until the kid is about 10 and ask him if he’s “made it past the hand-holding stage yet” in front of a bunch of adults.
And I thought my Uncle was an ass!
Ummm. for a two year old, my recommondation is big chubby crayons (not the kind in a 64 pack - their little fingers have a tougher time holding the skinny ones, they break and get crushed into the carpet instead of those wonderfully wild murals toddlers love to do.)
When your nephew is old enough, be sure to provide him with a collection of Calvin and Hobbes books. Your brother will thank you later. And then there’s always the ever-popular toy drum.
Thank you so much for that mental image.
Anybody else picturing Keith Moon in the role of “Uncle Ernie?”
That’s so cool.
Many congratulations.
The Aunt Cyn method of childcare:
Sugar them up and send them home, perhaps with a small, loud and battery-operated trendy toy.
Buy the nephew/neice anything on the check-out aisle at the supermarket.
Celebrate all holidays including Groundhog Day with outings, songs, hats, gifts, and/or parades.
Spoiled is such an ugly word: indulged is so much nicer, don’t you think?
I was just kidding (the carpet thing was the exact reason for my threat 
). Actually, I got her a Buzz Lightyear. She is totally gaga over Toy Story stuff.
That’s one of the coolest things about my neices. Whenever I want to watch The Princess Bride, A Bug’s Life, or Toy Story, I just head over there. They love those movies and my brother and sister-in-law appreciate me watching the kids for them.
I am thinking of some of those Crayola markers, though, if I don’t get some more meatloaf.
Congratulations, Uncle manny!
Also “So Big”, “Piggy back rides”, and rent the new version of the parent trap and learn the handshake that the butler does with the little girl. Always a hit with my darling nieces.
Congratulations, Uncle Manny
Abby
Thanks for the good wishes, all. And thanks for the ideas – I had forgotten some of them!
Also, I think I’ve decided that I’m going to try to teach him the wrong words for everything, a la Steve Martin. Kid points at an airplane, I’ll tell him it’s a banana.
Now if I can only find a leather riding jacket and an ear cuff in size “really, really small.” Oh, and how old does a kid have to be before you can put a temporary tatoo on him?
Man, this is gonna be great!
Manny: First, congrats! My husband and I have two kids, but my husband really, really enjoys being the evil uncle. And since he’s a long-haired musician, it comes naturally. Kids flock to him. He just looks…bad.*
Second, I have seen Harley clothing for kids at Meijer’s, including jackets in size “really, really small.” Don’t know if you’re a Harley guy, but those jackets are really freakin’ cool!
I love my niece and nephew dearly–oh, they can be annoying little brats at times (and downright dangerous at other times), but overall they’re a joy to be around. I don’t see them as often as I’d like–it’s a 350 mile trip each way–but whenever I can, I go visit. We hang out, play video games, and watch (clean) anime together. They love listening to my LARPing stories; I know my nephew retells them for his friends, and I sometimes wonder what his friends make of it–"<nephew>'s uncle fought an evil wizard this weekend and nearly got killed!"
Of course, his friends have also seen me throw fire and smoke from my fingertips…
It’s good to be a strange-but-cool uncle. Congrats, Manny–make the most of it.