day 3.

I spent most of today hanging out with my niece. Since moving to Portland, it's been my great joy to get to spend time with my brother and his family every week. The kids know me pretty well by now. Well enough, in fact, that when I walked in the door this past Monday, Calli said, "I don't want to see Kateri today." Which I took as a sort of badge, because I'm not a novelty anymore. I'm an assumption. She can see me later. That's pretty great.

Today, though, I was in favor. She greeted me this morning with, "Oh, hi, Kateri. Do you want to draw an L with me?" More than anything, kid. (Although, to be fair, I thought she said owl. I was sharply corrected.) 

Watching her learn is amazing. I'm so envious of that elastic three-year-old mind. She doesn't forget anything, ever, and she learns so fast. It's horrifying and thrilling all at once, and sometimes I'll seed a conversation with really obscure stuff just to see when it pops up again. And it always does. Today while she was eating lunch, she was humming and kicking her heels as she usually does during meals, when suddenly she turned sideways, gripped her stomach and yelled, "So cold! I don't have much time!" and then stuffed another bite of hot dog in her mouth and went on humming. While I perished laughing and then told the entire internet. I've no idea where she heard that line, but she filed it away and used it exactly right, with flawless comic timing to boot. Did I mention she's three? 

Anyway, I had a pretty nice day.