My Nieces

When my brother told me he was going to fight for full custody of his two daughters, I thought he was in for the fight of his life. In Texas, as in most states, it's extremely difficult for fathers to gain full custody. Plus, proving a mother is unfit is no small thing.

But after several years, several court hearings and several thousands of dollars he WON! (And it is totally true that his lawyer's name is Sharpie.) My brother now has full custody of my two nieces and my former sister-in-law doesn't even have visitation rights anymore. Which is a GREAT thing because my nieces would have been safer with Amy Winehouse than with their own mother.

Anyway... that awesome news called for a family party complete with Celebration Chicken. (Our family tradition of celebrating with a little pollo from the Azteca Meat Market.) It's so great to think that my nieces now have a real chance at a more stable, normal life and they can complete a full year of school without having to move at all.

I feel really blessed to be able to call them anytime I want, visit them, celebrate holidays with them, buy them clothes, spoil them, and all the other things aunts do. I could never even have a relationship with them before and now I get to have ALL of that and I just can't wait. My first mission for them: Halloween costumes! And to convince one of them to be Wonder Woman.