This Is My Niece, Her Code Name Is Sara

When my niece was in first grade, and her brother was in fifth, I picked them up from school twice a week and played with them all afternoon until my sister finished with her day and got home. It was great. My kids were older, and self-sufficient by this point and to get to hang out with my sister's delicious kids a few times a week was, well...pretty delicious.

We came up with this idea that they would have code names. For no other reason really except for the fact that it was a fun thing to do. Though a teacher they had at the elementary school I picked them up at thought that this was a safety thing - that they would know that only someone who knew their code names were safe to go home with. Considering the fact that I was the only one picking them up I am not sure what made her think this. It is kinda interesting.  Regardless, this was not the reason though I did ask them to come up with really unique names. 

My nephew came up with Drake. Mainly because he was obsessed with the show Josh and Drake which played on TV at the time. And the name they gave me was Sherbet. Or maybe I thought of that? No, it was them. Don't ask me why. And my niece, her unique and rarely used name, chosen with care and deliberation, was Sara. Yup...

So, we had our names.

And we had an extremely interesting car ride home each day as my niece, temporarily named Sara, spent the entire ride swearing. This was because she was not allowed to at home. Whereas at my home, we all swore. Especially me. And so Sara swore. As in a stream of foulmouthed words and phrases that even I was surprised to hear come forth from her. I laughed the whole way home.

And then we played. And ate ice cream from the container. And made cookies - once using peppermint instead of vanilla by mistake and I could not understand they they tasted so strange. 

And once we addressed a letter to a pretend address that sounded a bit like their real address - Kielbasa Sausage. I still can't remember if it made it to them or not.

So why this writing about "Sara?"  Because she started a blog. Yup, my fifteen year old and truly remarkable niece is now a weekly blogger. And I want you to check it out. Because it is good and because she is my niece and I think she is amazing and also because I feel that anyone who puts themselves out there and shares their voice and opens their heart and lets other's into their thoughts and their ideas, well... that person is worthy of our support.  

So here is a link to the writing about her code name. But check out her other writings, too. She is a cool girl. I am a proud aunt.