Aunty Lou

If there's one time in life when you get to be fun, it's when you're an Aunty! Aunties are the ones who get to be cool, do silly things and make inappropriate jokes without being as embarrassing as parents. They are the ones who laugh when you burp. They get excited over the little things. Be there for you when Mum and Dad just don't get it (I mean what would they know, they're old?). They can laugh at you when you get in trouble. They are allowed into your private bedroom to read your poems. You can show them your favourite music and they won't tell you that kids today have no taste. They always have something special to eat when you go to visit. And they just have cool stuff you can look at. 

Aunties are like real life mentors. I have an Aunty who I thought was soooooo cool when I was a little kid. Big hair, cool cars, tight jeans. I ended up with the coolest car of them all! I always wanted to be just like her! I have another Aunty who had a drumkit. I ended up with a kit of my own and played in school bands for years. I have another Aunty who is just the centre of her family, always putting on a great spread and bringing everyone together. Too much food is good right? And another Aunty who didn't have kids of her own, so we more than made up for it when we went to visit! She is definitely where I get my obsessiveness to catalogue, list and note everything! 

Aunties teach you so much in life, sure they can help you with your homework or your school project. But they teach you about life. I mean Mum & Dad can talk until they are blue in the face, but unless Aunty X says it, it's just no true, right? Parents are so old fashioned, but Aunties....well they are just fabulous. But once you grow up to be an Aunty you realise just how amazing parents really are. And you realise that WOW, your own Mum must've been an Aunty to someone too. Maybe in the eyes of someone else, your own Mum was that really cool, silly Aunty who always had something yummy to eat in her cupboard. It might be the most mundane of things, but at someone else's place it's GREAT!  And you realise that the Aunties you adore are Mums to other kids, your cousins, and well, they probably don't see your Aunty quite the way you do. 

But hey, back on that homework deal. If you're ever in need of a tutor, someone to listen to the kids read, inspiration for the next project that comes your way....ask an Aunty (or an Uncle)! They are heaps cheaper than those tutoring companies and they do it out of love. Can't get much better than that. Now that's Learning that's Fun! 

A couple of Aunty Lou snaps: 

Would you believe there are 2 aunties in this picture? Aunty Lou (at age 30) and Aunty Hannah (at age 7). Little Mason is just about bigger than Aunty Hannah these days (And Aunty Hannah is nearly bigger than Aunty Lou, so it's all relative really). 

When you're an Aunty you get to dress up and be the party fairy! 

And when you're an Aunty you get to have parties, fill them with food & drink, do fun things and then send them home. This way, you get to hold on to your "cool" reputation.