Uncle Mark

My brother and niece are in the area for a few days. I was telling Alyssa last night that Uncle Mark and cousin Brandy were going to come over today. Here's the rest of our conversation:

A: I don't like Uncle Mark*! (I really think this needs to be translated to I don't know/remember Uncle Mark)
M: Oh Uncle Mark is nice ~ remember last year he brought you your chairs for outside, your tent, and the elephant game?
A: I LOVE Uncle Mark!

So fickle.

This morning I reminded her that Mark and Brandy were coming this afternoon and she told Adam "Uncle Mark bring elephant game and chairs!" and declared that she likes Uncle Mark.

It makes me really sad that I had to create the "memory" of Mark by describing the gifts that he brought her. And then it makes me sad that I'm not closer to him to give Alyssa and Joel a better chance of having a good/familiar relationship with him. But we live 10 hours apart and see each other about once a year. I'm 28, married, with 2 young children and he is 43, divorced, and a single dad of an almost 18 year old. I'm not sure in that situation how close you can get/be. When you think about it, pretty much all we have in common is some DNA. And that we both like to bad mouth our sister from time time. ;)



* Several months ago Adam asked Alyssa who her favorite uncle was and then listed off her uncles. She immediately replied with Uncle Mark, which surprised us both because we assumed it would be one of Adam's brothers that she sees fairly regularly. Nope, it was "Uncle Mark ~ big dog!" that made the top of her uncle list. Evidently the wolf-dog and the gifts made quite the impression on little Miss Alyssa last summer.