Rule #7 - Nudity will make you giggle, no matter what age you are

This weekend we had James' birthday party. Before the big ho-down, Evan, James, and my 11-year-old niece stopped at Fry's to pick up some last minute party snacks. James has a "thing" for my niece and just thinks she's probably the most important person in the world, next to Elmo. He refers to her as "my" before saying her name and was saying her name long before he habitually started calling me "mama" or Evan "daddy". And to top it off....her name's a little more complicated than most.

Well, my 11-year-old niece also has a cell phone. She's had one for a while, and to be honest, I'm not 100% sure why. I don't really know what I would have done with a cell phone when I was 11, but that's beside the point. What I know she DOES do, is text. She also sends picture messages. So while we're at the store, my phone beeps I get THIS picture message from my niece:



Now I love my niece very much, but imagine my horror at the "spring break" picture my niece just sent me of my 2-year-old son....oh, and the other 7 people she sent the photo to.

Yes, she may as well be working for "Girls Gone Wild". That picture went out to so many people in such a short time, that I had a moment of panic of how James would be furious at me in about 15 years or so. I freaked on my niece and freaked at James. They just laughed.

Fast forward to today when I'm sitting on the couch. James has been in "super-charged, I just drank 10 red bulls" mode all day and he gets real quiet. Quiet, in my house at least, has become somewhat of an eerie sign. I wasn't in a panic yet, however, because he was in my line of sight. In fact, he was standing right in front of me.

We make eye contact.

His smile could not get any bigger as he bunches the bottom of his shirt and starts to say "whhhhooooaaaaaa". He says it really slow to emphasize what happens next. And what happens, is James, in all his glory (and in front of my poor grandma and aunt) just lifts up his shirt and flashes me.

I'm just staring at him and he's the most still he's been all day....showing me all that he's got. All I think is..."wow. This is almost as interesting as when he locked me in the laundry room and when he let me out had somehow dropped his pants around his ankles."

But I had to laugh. How could you not?! And besides...when James makes me laugh, he seems to love me just that much more. So I'll laugh all day for him.

P.S. I know I've inadvertently just shared that photo with the entire world, but at least I'm his mother. I can do whatever I want. :)