Baby Love - sorta

One of the really fun things we got to do last weekend was watch my niece, Elizabeth, my oldest brother Don and his wife Michelle's little girl. (Was that really just last weekend? Seems like forever ago. What ever did happen to last week?) Anyway, Miss Lizzie really puts the toot AND the cute in cutie patootie. The girls are just all aflutter when we have the distinct privilege of watching Miss Lizzie. And that is basically what we do. We just sit and watch. Watch her smile, watch her giggle, watch her eat, watch her drool , watch her eyes sparkle - you name it - we watch - and love every precious minute of it.

I was going to tell you that Princess Maren has this really strong maternal, nurturing instinct. She is always lovingly mothering her dollies, her stuffed animals (Pancakes, Pig-Pig, Seaweed and Lambie in particular)or her Barbies. I am always finding dollies, animals, or Barbie's neatly tucked in at various spots around our house with one of my dishrags or dishtowels - no wonder there are never any left in the drawer.

I actually love finding Maren's little babies "sleeping" here and there. It reassures me somewhat, because, see Maren has just a bit of a Diva in her. Upon waking, she slips on her most sparkly necklace, smooths her hair and clips it in one of the hair clips from the collection she keeps at her bedside, all before her little feet hit the floor. Then she dons her robe and slippers and sashays to the breakfast table and politely demands to be fed. She plugs her own nose while doing her own #2, and finds it distasteful to flush the toilet - #1 or #2. She is all about the shoes and the clothes and the purses - oh my.

I often wonder where this diva gene came from. I have heard some stories about her Auntie Kim and her girlie-girl ness - and am reassured that she turned out just fine. There is also Maren's Great Grandma Gigi. At 83, she has just succumbed to her first pair of "sensible shoes". I think she would argue that those two words do not belong together in the same sentence. Oh, we love Princess Maren to pieces - diva gene and all, but it is all somewhat foreign to my inherently tomboy self.

So last weekend, Maren would not leave Lizzie's side. She even helped me change her diaper. The sweetness of Miss Lizzie could not be resisted and all diva-ness was put aside. She was drinking the cute baby Kool-Aid. She was so disappointed to wake up the next morning and find Lizzie gone. All that was left was Baby Lizzie's rattle. Maren was beyond sad. Her heart had been stolen. So, I am reassured that Maren loves someone way more than shoes. It does this momma's heart good.

But speaking of shoes, Princess Maren has also been learning to tie hers and later that day I went to the play room in the basement and saw this. Should I be worried?

So much for the mothering gene. Don and Michelle may never let us watch Lizzie again. Sigh. We love you Maren!