I have recently adopted a new favorite word: nibling
Think “sibling” but instead it’s talking about nieces and nephews, not brothers and sisters. Technically nibling is not in the dictionary…yet. But neither is Oreo Queen. So clearly the dictionary has some priorities out of sync. In short, nibling is the unofficial word for “nieces and nephews.” Perhaps you don’t need to use this word a lot because you 1) have no nieces and nephews or 2) you only have nephews or 3) you only have nieces or 4) you don’t have that many nieces and nephews in the first place so it’s no big deal.
But then there’s me. As of Tuesday, I am officially an aunt of twenty. (Yes, twenty.) My twentieth nibling was just born:
You can see why I need the word nibling to be official. So I am going to continue educating the world until it makes it into the dictionary. (If selfie can do it, so can nibling.)
You might have noticed that last week I didn’t blog. I blame it on the niblings. Next week, I will also not be posting. Again: niblings. (They make for a great excuse! WE NEED THIS WORD!) The reasons for this are:
- I’m currently traveling…for two weeks…without a computer (aka: unplugging so that I can get all the baby snuggles and family catch-up that I can.)
- I’m also writing on deadline, so there’s that. [panic face]
- I was frantically sewing a baby blanket before I left on my two-week trip. Therefore blog was abandoned because…sewing is hard.
You see, when I was little my mom made me an adorable little white and yellow baby blanket. (I tried to find a picture of baby Nadine with said blanket. Apparently it doesn’t exist.) I lost the blanket when I was five. (One word: De-va-sta-tion) So my mom sewed me a new one that looked similar. (She’s awesome like that.) Then I went to Bible camp as a teenager and….accidentally left it there. It ended up in the lost and found and, by the time I realized that, it had been donated. (Whoever you are out there who has my blanket YOU BETTER APPRECIATE IT!)
Well, I begged my mom (yes, as a teenager) to make me a new one. She kept telling me I was too old. But when I was packing up my belongings a couple years later to head off to college, she surprised me with a parting gift. Yup. Another blanket carrying all the same memories as the previous two. I cried. (I don’t think she knows she made me cry.) I still have that blanket to this day.
And now I have taken the mantel to make these blankets for my niblings. My older sister crochets Christmas stockings. It’s like we each pick up a tradition and carry it on so our niblings and kiddos know how to be cool and how to pass on memories. The most recent blanket I made was for nibling number 20. It’s simple. It’s the only thing I know how to sew. But it’s made with all the auntie love.
So that’s that. I’ve snuck into my older sister’s house to use her computer to let you know that I’m not dead or on a deserted island or buried under a mount of Oreos (if I was, I wouldn’t complain, though.) Just here to share a little glimpse of Nadine life and travels.
Do you have any family traditions or a “special role” that you fill in your family?
Do you have any niblings? How do you like being an aunt/uncle?
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Awwww that is so cute! I love that idea of little traditions. I’m inspired now! I just have to stay inspired until the day I get niblings or kiddos or my own <3 😛
Also yesss, I love the word niblings. It sounds adorably cute.
Niblings is an awesome word. I have 5 niblings – 3 girls, 2 boys. 20 is amazing!
I suspect a lot of my family’s traditions revolve around food. Like – all holidays need to have waffles with strawberries and whipped cream for breakfast. And a birthday feast just isn’t right without Pizzoccheri and angel food cake covered in, you guessed it, strawberries and whipped cream.
This is adorable and awesome! Love “nibling.” I expect to need it a ton someday not so far away, as I have six siblings. 🙂
YOU ROCK. I need to interact with my “niblings” more … and I only have four! One of them is old enough to create the next gen niblings. :/ (I am known as the “artsy” aunt)
Awww!! Nice job with the blanket!! And congratulations. <3 I just made a baby blanket a few weeks ago and now I'm starting another one. Tis the season for babies being born.
So cute! 🙂
First off, I AM SO JEALOUS THAT YOU HAVE NIBLINGS. XD I’m an only-child, so my current plan is to specifically fall in love with a dude who has plenty of niblings so I can have some of my own. #priorities 😛 😉
Secondly, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEWEST NIBLING!!!! That’s so exciting! Enjoy the cuddles! <3
Family traditions are the best! And that's such a sweet parting gift! 🙂
I hope you have an awesome weekend!
Liv // livkfisher.blogspot.com
That’s funny, I grew up with a white-and-yellow blanket, too! I still have it, but apparently I wreaked havoc on it as a little kid, because the hem has come completely apart. Just needs a little – or a lot – bit of a stitching. We’ve said we need to fix it for only about ten years!
I cast my vote: NIBLINGS must be in the dictionary by 2020. 🙂
“nibbling” is awesome. I don’t have any yet (I’m the oldest of four).
I also have a blanket! and I’m eighteen! *highfives* blankets are the best
aw, congrats on your 20TH NIBLING! that’s amazing! <3 😉
“Nibling” MUST become a real word. I love it too much now for it not to be… and I want to use it if my brother ever gets married and has kids 😉
My first nibling was just born. ^~^ A tiny little niece who is the most adorable baby in the worlds (though you might disagree, considering you have twenty niblings of your own. xP).
Aw, this was the sweetest post ever! My only brother is twelve, so no niblings yet, but I’m waiting.