A Very Good Year

Brought to you by CNE.

I can't believe it's been a year — one whole year since the Cutest Niece Ever took a break from angel duty to join us here on earth. She is simply the berries.

In my role as doting Aunt, I could (and do) go on at length about how fantastic this kid is. Smart, talented, busy, smiley, and bald, she's doing more learning in every waking moment than I've done in the last dozen years. Her accomplishments to date include giggling, patting the kitty, eating her vegetables, reading/chewing books, splashing in water, crawling fast, nearly walking, juggling knickknacks — with limited success, according to her mother, my Sister-san — climbing the shoe rack, and occasionally saying "Uh oh," especially while watching the Vikings.

In the coming year, she'll be walking, talking, dressing herself (probably with more fashion flair than her poor aunt has), feeding herself, drawing, and testing the rules. She'll begin to share toys with other kids and might even be ready for a big-girl bed. By this time next year, I imagine she'll have mastered her mother's computer and her father's tools as well. I can't wait to see how it all turns out.

Grandmother Media is heading west for her share of birthday cake and icing kisses later this week. Me, I'll have to wait a bit for mine. But CNE is getting all my love long distance just the same.

Click here for the lyrics to You Are the New Day, the perfect song for a perfect soul. The King’s Singers arrangement is the best; click here for an mp3 sample.

Photos today? NO. Just imagine the cutest little girl you've ever seen. Now double that, and you've got CNE.

Today around the world: September 13 is my niece’s birthday.