7/1/07 The test

This morning, my niece, Remi, claimed she'd injured her toe.

"Aunt Noemi, I need a band-aid! Can you get me a band-aid?" Knowing full well what her real intent with a box of band-aids was, and having just sat down to breakfast after working since 6:30am on kitchen and breakfast prep and cleanup, I wasn't about to get up to indulge her. "I'll look in a few minutes, Remi." She moved away, but reappeared in a few minutes and asked again for a band-aid. I put her off again. And then once more. When I was done with breakfast, I found some real kid stickers for my niece, and figured it was all over.

Later, at the table again, Remi sat across from me in her mother's lap. She was eyeing me carefully, waiting for a moment. Then, still wearing her disarming smile, she put out her finger, looked right at me and said slowly and deliberately, "I know you have a band-aid."

She might as well have been an undercover agent whispering to a suspect that his cover has been blown and to quietly leave the building before this gun hidden in his coat goes off, see? This is one sneaky little girl!

Lots of photos today, including from our foray to the Morgan Hill Aquatics Center, but it's too late, I'm too tired, stayed up too long yakking with my sister and brother-in-law, and have had too much port to bother uploading.

7/1/07