Thousand Words Thursday

This is a photo of me and my cousin ("Boots") taken about 16 years ago. The camera snapped this shot just as I was getting ready to take little Boots on a sit-n-spin ride.

Boots is A LOT younger than me and because of this I have many fond memories him growing up.

Boots (who gets his nickname due to the rainboots he wore for the first 3 years of his life) was one of the funniest little kids I have ever known. He often said and did the most hilarious things...

One time, while looking for videos at or local video store Boots encountered his first "little person". Boots must have been about 3 or 4 at the time and as he turned a corner in the store, he came head on with the manager (a little person) who was about as tall as Boots. Boots stopped dead in his track and shouted "WHOA...THAT GUY IS SO SHORT!!!"

I think the entire store froze...like those awkward moments you see in the movies where no one knows what to say or do. Then Boots just shrugs and stomps away in his little rainboots.

AND...as a toddler and preschooler, Boots was always dressed up as some kind of ninja (with rainboots on). He loved ninjas and was always karate-chopping or head butting anyone within arms reach. Short little guy that he was, that meant that he often hit the groin area...It was quite hilarious (and painful) and he could literally made grown men cringe in fear just by entering a room...

Anyhow, even though Boots is my cousin, I have always thought of him like a little brother and when he turned 18 last week I was as shocked as I was excited for him.

I am so amazed at what an awesome person Boots has become... and I love that he and my kids have a close relationship despite their age differnce...
Aside from his habit of sitting on my dear Momo, Boots is one of my favorite people in the world...

Happy Belated Birthday Boots!