isabel and georgia

Naiya's cousins Hank and Gus have some cousins of their own (to which we are not directly related). (They're my brother's wife's sister's family.) The Jorys are a really lovely people that we don't know well, but each time we spend time with them, we feel delighted at their company. The eldest two of the three children are girls that Naiya loves from afar. Perhaps she has interacted with them more than I have witnessed but from my observation her contact with them is minimal. I was surprised then when a couple of seasons back she proclaimed that she had named her feet. Yes, named her feet. Named them after her cousin's cousins. The right one (the one with the freckle) is Isabel. The left is Georgia. This isn't a passing fancy. These names have been maintained for at least six months now.

the tulip festival

In Woodburn Oregon there's an annual Tulip Fest. I went years ago and just parked my car and walked through the fields and fields of color. These days it's a massive event. There are games and carnival rides, food and wine tasting as well as, of course, fields and fields of tulips and daffodils. If you like to entertain children with carnival-like things the weekends are crowded but surely fun. I think on weekdays this would be a more subdued affair in terms of activity but certainly not in terms of color.

actually

“Let me tell you something... Actually...”
This phrase now begins perhaps 40% of each sentence our child utters. It’s odd to realize that we ourselves are the source of these repetitions. Well, actually, it’s mostly mommy.

in the blink of an eye - II

easter

Mommy and Naiya driving in the car some weeks after Easter had passed:

Naiya: “Mommy, how does the Easter Bunny get in our house?”
Mommy: “I don’t know. How do you think the Easter Bunny gets in our house?”
(long pause)
Naiya: “Well, Santa Claus comes in the chimney, but I don’t think the Easter Bunny comes in the chimney.” (long pause) “I think the Easter Bunny pretends there’s a hole in our house and comes in there. Then when he leaves, he pretends there isn’t a hole anymore and it goes away.”
Mommy: “That sounds about right.”
(pause)
Naiya: “Mommy, is the Easter Bunny a girl or a boy?”
Mommy: “I’m not sure. What do you think?...”

a lot of teens

In the back of the car, Naiya was counting stickers. “Eighteen, nineteen, twenty-teen...more-teen...Woah!" she says, a little surprised at herself, "that’s a lot of teens!”