little wonders

A little girl has entered my life, my new niece, although it has been over a year now since her arrival, she recently has discovered her grandmother's swimming pool. Floating around in a specially designed baby floater, she is surrounded by her family offering her floaty seals and funny faces but she only wants the floating thermometer with a duck on top. After we give it to her, she naturally tosses it away. And expects it back.

She makes everyone do tricks, fetching the duck thermometer or blowing bubbles. She makes me blow bubbles as I try to teach her to swim. She sticks her lips together as if she was holding her breath and looks at me expectantly. How can I not blow bubbles in the water for her? It makes her laugh.

I also saw her discover popcorn. Very wary at first as she picked up the first one, looked at it spuriously and then put it in her mouth. It took a few seconds but then she lit up as the buttery tastiness that is popcorn hit her tastebuds and quickly she dove in for more. She was not too fond of the popcorn that fell on the pool deck, in a pool of water, which she then put in her mouth. We warned her.

It's life reaffirming to experience such wonders.