Adventure #173: KJ Has The Cutest Niece Ever

Dear You,

The other day, my niece, Kaylee, who is now four, was visiting. She was standing next to me (or maybe even sitting in my lap, which she says she will be able to do until she is 10) when I opened up a message that had a picture in it of a little girl named Olivia posing with a custom painting I'd done of her.

"KATHY!" Kaylee said, kind of admonishingly. "Why did you paint that little girl?! You need to paint ME!"

I don't think it surprises anyone when I say, if Kaylee asks her Kathy for something, 9.5 times out of ten, Kaylee gets it.

We were then at her house taking some snapshots of her with her painting and after we were done with our little photoshoot, I put the painting on the armrest of the couch, along with my purse and a dress of hers. Then I went upstairs to do something on the computer for her mom.

When I came back down, we started to gather our stuff, to get ready to leave, and the painting wasn't there. I looked everywhere, certain that I'd laid the painting right on top of that dress.

"I can't find the painting!" I exclaimed to my sister, panic rising in my voice. Had cat burglars snuck in the window and made off with it the second our backs were turned? Had aliens beamed up it up to their home planet, Feebalar? Had it, gasp, come to life and simply gotten up and walked out?

Then, a little voice said, "But Kathy...it's MY painting, right? I put it up in MY room already!"

Isn't she so cute? I could just pick her up and squish her. Until she's ten, of course, when she says she'll be too big for such gushy displays of affection. (But, oh, dear, I hope not!)

I've always done custom work upon request and really enjoy doing it, but have never really advertised it in my shop...well, now there's a listing for a 9" x 12" personalized painting up over there...complete with the pictures of Kaylee with her painting as an example.

Love,

Comments

[Marisa]

OMG, I've always thought she was ridiculously adorable based on the things she says... but she IS TOTALLY RIDICULOUSLY adorable grinning with that adorable portrait!! Aw, you're the best auntie. I'm so jealous. My girls have one aunt, but she's rubbish.

(That's a mean thing to say, but she's never acknowledged she has nieces so believe rubbish is the perfect way to describe her)

[KJ]

Awww, thank you, Marisa!

Your girls' non-aunt doesn't know what she's missing out on. And she should be ashamed of herself! Believe me when I say, it is her loss. Words cannot express how lucky I feel to be this little girl's Kathy ('cause she never calls me Aunt) or how much joy she has brought me.

Growing up, I only had what I call "Christmas aunts" -- I only saw them on holidays and was never close to either of them. So from the moment I found out my sister was pregnant, I vowed that I would NOT be that way with my niece.