Aunt Duty

Last night I volunteered for Aunt Duty so that my sister could get in a workout.  My niece, Olivia, (or as I like to call her, Livy Love) is a joy to be around.  She's a very happy, inquisitive 19 month old.  Her vocabulary is expanding exponentially these days, and it's so cool to hear her learn a new word.  It's also hilarious when you think you're suggesting a really awesome activity for her and she just looks at you and says, "No."  Haha.  My sister has a mirror in Livy's bedroom that is surrounded by wallet size pictures of important people in her life.  I like to bring her in there when I'm babysitting and quiz her on the people.  She's such a smarty pants.  I have to give her extra credit for getting certain ones right, considering all my sisters and I look pretty similar!

I can tell she's going to take after her mother (and me!) in the sense that she already has a shoe fetish.  She loves putting on grown-ups' shoes, or simply just collecting and stockpiling them.  She snatched my flip flops last night and took them in the other room.  When she came back, I asked her where she took them and she very simply said, "closet."  Like, duh, that's where shoes go, Aunt Janet.

I love how Livy gets excited at the mention of certain people who she's become especially fond of.  Our exchange student, Kim, got to know Livy over a period of 6 months, but left in January to return to Germany.  I pulled up a picture of Kim on my phone last night and showed it to Livy and she immediately yelled "Kim!" and smiled.  She definitely loved her Aunt Kim and won't be forgetting her any time soon.

While I love interacting with Livy and teaching her new things, I think my favorite moments with her are quiet ones spent in my lap.  She'll be sitting next to me on the couch and then suddenly scoot over and climb into my lap, facing outward, with her back resting against my chest.  I think she appreciates and desires that feeling of closeness and security just as much as I love providing it!  Here's to many more days of Aunt Duty, a job I will never get tired of.

 

 Showing off her cuteness by the pool

Livy and Kim