Cousin Marianna

Sofia

 

The first time I met Marianna she was still in nappies and about 18 months old. I remember a photo I took on that first trip to visit Daddy's family at Lavariano, near Udine, of Marianna sitting in a shopping trolley in just her nappy and a singlet, cute ringlets framing her face.

 

Marianna is now 20. Daddy and I were very happy that she could take some time out from her studies and exam preparation to spend some time with us. Her open hearted, genuine personality immediately connected with you and I watched as you started to engage with her, not quite understanding that she was in face Marina's baby girl, just as you are my baby girl.

 

She is in fact, at least in the English language, your second cousin. Regardless, she is a special girl and we one day soon hope to welcome her to our home in Australia.

Cheers II

Sofia

Some close ups from your cheer squad day. You are glorious.

Cheer

Sofia

Last month we spent a few days in Melbourne visiting your aunt, uncle and two cousins. On the last day of the visit we went to cheer Joshua on at his school swimming carnival. Someone brought along a set of gold streamer pom poms.

 

Without any encouragement you started jumping and waving them around, just like a cheerleader at a football game. Your enthusiasm and delight were infectious. Many of the other parents, teachers and students stopped to watched your unabashed pleasure. It's a wonderful thing the way a happy, smiling toddler makes other people stop and smile. They sometimes catch my eye, as if to say "What a lovely thing it is to watch her, so free, finding wonder in things/places/tasks where we've forgotten to look for it?"

 

I think part of a toddler's life purpose is to make the adults around them stop and enjoy the moments.

 

Those poms poms certainly connected with your life purpose that day at the swimming carnival.
 

 

 

Crafty

Sofia

While in Melbourne you asked if we could do some pasting. The boys quickly joined in, the three of you working together on the floor.

Joshua worked on a very structured collage. Lachlan was creating mini origami pieces before gluing them down. Your collage was a sea of red, pink and purple squares. Much like the weekly washing I hang out for you on Fridays.

Cousins

Sofia

This picture of you with Joshua and Lachlan in the morning before they head out to school captures the mutual affection beautifully. You are lucky to have such generous, engaged cousins.

Bath time

Sofia

I'm listening to you happily playing in the bath, chatting away, busying yourself with pouring, filling, emptying and arranging containers of water. You've already used the face washer to clean around the edge of the bath, earnestly scrubbing away, your little tongue poking out as you concentrate on the job at hand.

Last weekend we spent four days in Melbourne visiting your Aunt and Uncle and two cousins. I took this photo of the three of you enjoying Aunty Kim's glamorous new bath tub.

You love bath time. I just wish I had remembered to find time to enjoy Aunty Kim's new bath as well because I love it too.