Pesky kids
They're my friend's kids, but since my friend is very very distantly related to me (I am her aunt... but am of her grandmother's generation.), I suppose I could call them my nieces and nephew. Today we celebrated Nephew #1 and Niece #2's birthday.
Nephew #1 (age 9) has lost all interest in me - apart from the present bit. Niece #2 (age 3) seemed frightened of me and didn't want my present at first, until she found out what it was. Her very own set of Play-doh. She carried it around for a long time, chuffed like a very chuffed little thing. Then, despite crawling all over me and sitting on my lap happily, she insisted I should leave, like the other people. "You have to go home." She kept repeating this. She's more my type, a wayward little tomboy, but I felt a little rejected. Niece #1 (age 6), of the girly girl variety, smiled at me sweetly and asked if I could stay for dinner -- several times. She's taken a liking to me since she found out I live alone in Amsterdam, without a man and wasn't it terribly sad for me? She handed me a drawing today, signed and all, of a happy mother flower and a happy baby flower, a tree, a cloud, the sun. No kid's ever done me a drawing. I think I have a new favourite niece. But I didn't stay for dinner.