My oldest niece gets to officially be the princess of the house today. Sadly, she has to go to school first. I’m assuming her age based upon her being in second grade yet I have a sinking feeling I’ll get that wrong too.
Madison and I have come a long way. When we first met, she was still a baby so she was still fussy, difficult and like all children under three. Being a bachelor (now a confirmed DINK partner) in 2000, her behavior was unsettling and I used to think she was a horrible, noisy, unruly monster. Then again, this is the first impression millions of children make in the Western World. Now that she can speak fluently and has grown older, we get along pretty well in our last couple of encounters. Somara thinks she has me wrapped around her finger because I let her have some Sanrio junk on a whim at Target. Not really. Madison was being nice, she asked politely and giving a little girl some fancy pencils is my generosity. If I bought her a sports car for her 16th birthday, then I’m under her spell. Not likely too. I still have my grandfather’s ‘cheapness’ DNA which puts a spending cap on what kids may ask of me.
She and her siblings should be in town next week, I think. I’m looking forward to the visit from all three of them. Landon will probably be p0wn’ing on the PS2, Cirri will demonstrate her speaking (she is under 3, Somara will remind me) and Madison can impress me with her musical prowess. For some reason she wants to learn how to play the harp. She’s in luck, we actually know a harpist! Dr. Alaire Lowry (one of the two people we housesit cats for) still plays and was a member of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. I have no stake in the outcome, yet. Out of the eight kids I am an uncle for, three of them are pursuing music so I can live percariously as a rock 17star through one eventually.
I’m sticking to my comment about her having Steve wrapped around her finger… just ask him where his last iPod Shuffle went.