My brother was on a fishing trip last weekend so I decided to take my nephews on an "Aunt Date." It was a win/win situation as I had fun hanging out with them, they (hopefully) had fun hanging out with me, and it gave my SIL some downtime and an opportunity to get things done without a 6 and 9-year old in tow.
We did our usual "Aunt Date" which includes a trip to our favorite kids bookstore, Wild Rumpus, followed by ice cream. This book store is so cool. It's hard to do it justice by explaining it - it's something you just have to see! So even if you don't have kids, I recommend checking it out if you ever find yourself in Minneapolis.
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| Petting one of the two cats. They also have a chicken that walks around as well as other animals in cages such as chinchillas, birds, and a tarantula. |
There are chairs throughout the store that are perfect for perusing a potential purchase (how's that for an alliteration!).
After the boys picked out their book, we headed down the street to Sebastian Joe's to get some ice cream. Of course we had to take a picture by the turtles on the patio...
Just like we did last time we were here 18 months ago.
After getting our ice cream fix, we walked down to Lake Harriet and watched the ducks for awhile. It was a beautiful, picture perfect day.
Before heading back home, we snapped a quick selfie.
I heart these two kids, and my 5 other nieces and nephews. Being an aunt rocks so much as it gives me an excuse to do fun things like go to a kids bookstore and eat ice cream. Plus being around them reminds me of what is most important in life. I am not sure if I will have the opportunity to have children of my own, but whatever the future brings, I am thankful that I can be a mother-at-heart to these kiddos!!
LOVE this post! And holy cow the difference in the 18 months for the photos - they're getting huge! So glad you can have this tradition with them!!!
ReplyDeleteAww your nephews are so cute! I can't believe how much they changed in 9 months!
ReplyDeleteThat bookstore looks amazing! I have to visit all bookstores wherever I go.
Wow, the change in 18 months is amazing, especially with Andrew! I think he has grown a foot or more! And his legs are so long! It looks like it was a perfect day! I hope to see that bookstore someday! Do they have a diaper on the chicken or is it trained? Just curious as I grew up on a farm and we raised chickens. Hmmm!
ReplyDeleteYou sound like such a fun aunt! And yes, everyone needs an excuse to act like a kid every once in a while so I'm glad you have these two cuties to do that with :)
ReplyDeleteBeing an aunt is the greatest!!! I love it, and am so excited that we'll have a little girl to spoil soon too :-)
ReplyDeleteMy nephew and I are going to have an auntie/nephew day soon, and I should totally take him to the bookstore. He is really into reading lately.
What a fantastic day! I am so glad that you're back home and close to family.
ReplyDeleteThis is a gorgeous post! I love being an auntie as well - you get all the fun, and much less responsibility! I suspect I would adore that bookshop!
ReplyDeleteAww, I love this post so much. You have such a special relationship with your nephews and nieces - that's so awesome! I am sure they will look fondly on these dates when they get older!
ReplyDeleteHow I love this! I'm pretty far away from anyone so this just makes me smile. At the lake I "met" my second cousin who was being Aunt to her nieces. It was magical to watch and I suspect it's the same with you and your gang!
ReplyDeleteThey are lucky to have you! I love that you incorporate learning (in a fun way) on your dates with them, rather than just spoiling them (I say this with my bonus mom hat on, of course). I am sure they love this time with you and it will be fond memories for when they grow up! xo
ReplyDeleteYou have some seriously good looking nephews! I would love to check out that bookstore if I ever make a trip to Minneapolis. I love bookstores that have cats! I've found two in Connecticut so far. I have always wished that I was not the oldest out of my siblings because I would love to have nieces or nephews. I'm sure I will, but by that point I'll probably have my own kids and I imagine it will be a different relationship if I already have my own kids. Speaking as someone's niece, I always loved to spend time with my aunts and uncles one-on-one. I only had that experience on my mom's side of the family, but it's something I really treasure. Your nephews will look back on these days fondly, I am sure of it!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you are able to take advantage of living close to home and the relationships you get to build with our nieces and nephews. I feel like I've been away so many years that they hardly know who I am.
ReplyDeleteSuch a fun outing!!! Love the pictures! Andrew is getting so tall!!!!
They are so lucky to have such a sweet and involved aunt!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like such a fun date! I'm sure the kids will remember your aunt dates fondly. We sadly don't get to spend a lot of time with our nieces and nephew since we live so far away but it's always fun to spend time with them when we visit. They especially love Eric because he's so good with kids!
ReplyDeleteI love this, Lisa. And I agree, I LOVE being an aunt. I don't get to see my niece and nephew nearly often enough.
ReplyDeleteI love that they are basically wearing the same outfits in both photos! ha
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