NAVIGATING THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

Don't panic. I don't have malaria... but getting malaria pills is a precaution. So for those of you who don't know... often... when travelling to a country that has outbreaks of malaria (and lots of mosquitos) you should take some kind of malaria prevention medication... not everyone does this... but I did. And I even sprang for the good stuff and had no bad reaction to it and was really, really happy with it. The problem is that you have to take it every day. And when you are busy travelling... that can be hard to remember. But I did it. I started taking a pill-a-day the two days before I left and then had to take it 7 days after I returned. Last night was my last pill. So... a week since I have been home from Asia. Weird. Surreal. Another milestone over: done with my malaria pills.

As you probably know I am an aunt. Not by "blood" because I have no siblings but my best friends in the world (Jodi and Jeff) graciously have given me the title of "auntie" to their children. Well, they have ONE and ONE on the way (in case you didn't know!). I got to babysit my niece today while mommy went for a check-up with the doctor (all is well). I was told she didn't get much sleep the night before, so she was a bit cranky. But the good news was she was also very CUDDLY. She is a fairly free-spirited and independant child... which I can totally respect... but she is going through this cuddly phase... and I LOVE IT. And I hadn't seen her really for any length of time since I went to Cambodia/Thailand. So it was fun to get to hang out with her and see how much she has grown. And gosh does she learn quick... she soaks it all up. Everything. And she remembers. As some of you know I like my feet... (side note: which is why the Cambodian custom of taking off your shoes everwhere was one of those cultural hurdles I had to overcome... my pet peeve: DIRTY FEET.) OK... back to my point... So... I generally am wearing a cute pair of flip-flops or have a fun colored toes from a recent pedicure... and so my niece knows and looks down almost first thing at my feet and points and says "Piggies"... now that is NOT an insult. For her grandma (mimi) has played the "this little piggy" game with her on her toes... so she calls all toes piggies... and then she looks up at me and goes "ahh" because that is the sound I make when I drink an iced mocha and am happy... generally on the mornings I babysit her. And today I had brought one... she pointed and said "ahh"... she is VERY good at that! I also taught her to say "Starbucks" today. It is not very clear, but we are working on it! And then she cuddled. So cute. She would run around... play... and then just get pooped out and then she would want to cuddle... So I held her and rubbed her back in a soothing circular motion... and I think her mom does that too... because before I knew it her little hand was rubbing little circles on my arm as if mimicking my rubbing of her back. I just about melted onto a puddle on the floor, I tell you! She is cute. Life is so much more special because she is in it.