Fun kids

A couple weeks ago, my sister and her two little kids (7 and almost 3) came over to spend the day.
I think they are both cute kids, but the 3 year old is at that stage where she says and does the cutest things.

The first thing she did when she came over and saw my dog, Anna, in the house, was let out a full throated, high-pitched scream. It was so funny. I wanted to laugh, but instead I told her it was ok, that Anna wouldn't hurt her. She didn't like it any time Anna got close to her. She would shimmy away, hide under the overhanging counter top, etc. But by the time the day was over, my niece was thrilled to be able to say that she "petted" (touched with one finer) Anna.

She just got potty trained, and so can go potty on her own now. One time I asked her if she needed to go, and she said yes, so she headed upstairs, but the lights were all off. So she came back down and said "It's darkery up there". So I told her to turn on the "lightery". She went back up, but came back down and told me again "it's darkery". I asked her mom where she got that from, and she just shrugged.

We sat down to eat some lunch, and she just had to sit by me, and then said, "Chel, you're my sweet heart." Awe.

Another time, we were swimming at our neighbors pool. She can't swim yet, but feels comfortable in the water, so with just a little floating water tube-thingy, she does ok. And then I guess she feels like she can stay afloat on her own, so she says "I don't need that". And so we humor her, and take her float away, only to have her promptly sink. We catch her and pull her back up, and first she looks shocked, then just smiles. We give her her float back, she hangs out on that for a while, then again states, "I don't need that." And again, sinks when we take it away. She's very determined, I guess.

I think my niece is so cute and funny. And I think its even cuter that I'm her "sweet heart" and when the lights are off, it's "darkery".

-Chel