Today, April 2, is my niece Kiona’s birthday. She is turning five years old and everything I have ever heard people with kids say comes to mind. “She is growing up so fast!” or “I can’t believe she is already five.” The truth is that she has grown up fast and I can’t help but think that it seems that time flew by because she’s been such a blessing to our lives.
Kioana was 2 years old when she began living with us. . Aside from mom, we never knew what it was like having a woman (or girl) live with us. It was a boys club that my dear mom adapted to with time. We were four guys (dad included) living under my mother’s rules but who managed to behave like cavemen. The burping, horseplay and pranks were typical of any what you can envision a bunch of boys hanging out. We watched Family Guy and Breaking Bad, spent weekends screaming at the television during baseball and soccer games or losing our minds with WWE or boxing.
When she entered the household, we were convinced she would be a tough little girl with a love for sports and rock and roll. While she is a tough little girl who is always eager for help to do back flips and front flips and who isn’t afraid of shadow boxing, Kioana doesn’t like sports. However, in our failure to entice her to join the boys’ club, she changed us into who we are today.
My niece will not watch Nascar, but we will sit and play teacups. She won’t root for the Dodgers and couldn’t care less about my Eagles but we will watch My Little Pony episodes. She still thinks that zombies are ugly and scary and I now find myself buying Hello Kitty merchandise at whenever I get a chance.
It has been a two-year transformation period that we never expected. My brothers and I were never supposed to play with dolls, watch episodes of Care Bears or help organize princess-themed birthday parties…at least not until we had kids. Still, one day a baby came to our home and accomplished in three years what my dear mother could not: she tamed the boys club. So today, April 2, I want to say: Happy Birthday, Kioana. I love you and I really wish you weren’t growing up so fast. You’ll always be “Baby” in my eyes.
