33. My 12 Nephews

11/2/12

My nephews are the best! So, since today was normal (a.k.a. fun, hard work, and bread), I want to tell you all about them. Here we go!!

Armando, age 8. This little fella comes with a lot of man. He is way beyond his years and almost seems too serious. He is ahead in his school and is already in third grade. Don´t even try to challenge him at marbles...he never loses. His mushy side only comes out on Sabbath...when he sits next to me and tries to cuddle the whole time.

Brayan, 8. Just look at that brute strength. Out of all the little goobers, he is by far the most cunning and arguably the most intelligent. He is one of the guys that hates school because it is too easy for him. This explains why he has so much free time in second grade to cause heaps of mischief. While most of the time he is starting fights or escaping his assailants, you can find him late at night snoozing on my lap...dreaming of his next conniving scheme.

Emmanuel, 11 (on the right). The chief of the trouble makers. Take him away for the day and the house is completely peaceful. With him? Chaos!! However, with me, he is a totally different dude. Apparently he needed an older guy to look up to as he is a new man when he is at my side. We play pranks on each other and most of the time he only gets off another of his victims if I am there to tell him to stop.

Freddy, 8: The baby of the family. Here he is proudly demonstrating his drawing upside down. He´s the cutest kid around with the softest voice. While he´s barely 8, he looks like an old man with wrinkles in his neck when he laughs.

Jose, 12. Dah, dah, dah, DAH!! Introducing the patriarch of the younger boys. Whatever he does, they do. He is a dreamer, perfectionist, and extremely kind. He is so talented at soccer that he usually plays with the teenagers. At first, he challenged my authority. But now he greets me with a cheeky grin and hug. I know he will go far in whatever he does.

Juan, 9 (On the right). Jose´s little brother. Totally opposite. Juan is a rough and tumble dude. Extremely intelligent, but loud and obnoxious. He is three years younger than Jose but already taller. You can usually find him starting trouble with Emmanuel at his side. But take Emmanuel away, and he´s one pleasant kid.

Erick, 10. The older brother of Brayan and my little tocayo (my namesake). It took me a while to figure him out. He can be kind, fun, and hard-working, but often hangs with the wrong crowd. He is baby Emily´s favorite nephew to play with and he has all the patience in the world for her. I tend to see a lot of me in him...but it might be because we have the same name.

David, 10. Oh boy! David is one interesting fellow. He is slightly mentally slow and gets picked on quite often, but never runs out of love. He was the first boy to run up to me and hug-tackle me when I arrived. I usually can´t understand what he rambles on about, but I´m sure his words are full of love.

Rekelme, 9. Freddy´s older brother. They look so much alike that it took me a week to differentiate them. He is a quiet guy that goes with the flow. He is respectful to his teachers, but is still capable of mischief. I think he has interesting facial expressions.

Dainor, 10. The third and final main trouble maker. Can´t you tell? He was the last to arrive at the house, and therefore seems somewhat separate from the others. He always seems to be defensive and expects the worse. He was the last to warm up to me, but now he is always at my side after I stuck up for him when he was falsely blamed for starting a skirmish.

Salvador, 11: He is the brains of the litter. Always studying with a dreamy expression on his face. Doesn´t like doing chores, because he would rather be in the jungle looking for animals. He wants to be a zookeeper. He is my main hope for finding my favorite animal: a chameleon.

Moises, 11. Moises was the first to arrive at the house. He is slow and is only in first grade despite his age. Everyone picks on him and he has low self-esteem. However, this all changes when it comes to eating; his absolute favorite activity. He has got to be the world´s greatest and fastest eater. I once called him the champion, so he always explains, ¨Campion!¨ when he finishes first. I try to race him sometimes...I usually end up choking.

There they are. All special and unique. Love each one of them!

**Keep adventurizing!...I know I will!**