What we've been up to lately, or Why I think my daughter is so amazing and can't stop talking about her

In addition to the usual play dates, we've been spending a lot of time as a family in front-yard water holding water balloon fights, sometimes with friends and neighbors. This has proven to be a great aggression-reliever, as well the perfect activity to foster vocabulary: "busted," "spigot," "arsenal." She's talking like a regular pirate these days.

Spring is almost at it's end, and with it came the last swim class. It was the first class in which I did not go IN the water with Kennedy. This does not mean I was down the street at Starbucks, but rather four feet from the waters edge, cheering her on, and holding my breath right along side her. They start each class with a baptismal DUNK under water. With the amount of chlorine in those pools, I am surprised she didn't have pink eyes for days afterwards. I sure would have. After just the second class, we ran into a fellow swim-class mate and her mother at a restaurant. She commented that she recognized Kennedy as "the one who always volunteers to go first." That's my girl - the eager beaver. I don't know if was a love of the water, a love of learning, or just a desire to please her superiors, but it was obvious that she was teachers pet. Or trying to be anyway. Let's hope this carries through to REAL school. She'll be the one in class everyone loves to hate.

Mother's day was spent with my mother, who hadn't seen Kennedy since September. A lot has changed since then. Instead of ABC's and Patty Cake it's now Knock Knock jokes and pinkie promises. And mother's day couldn't have been more pleasant than that. (Despite the debacle of a dinner out at a very crowded Salt Lick in Round Rock, but that's another story.)

Our most recent adventure was taking our daughter with us to a dinner party at one of Turner's friends' houses. He and his wife just returned from living in Japan. The first thing they said when we came in the door was "She is so big!" I think they were expecting a toddler, not, as the wife put it, a girl who looks like she should be in elementary school. She was a wonderful host, cooked a lovely Japanese dinner on the table, and made her own miso and sushi. It was delightful. So fun, in fact, that I finally got that electric skillet I've been wanting for pancakes, because now we cook on the table, and who doesn't love that?!? I'm just pleased that Kennedy was on her best behavior and actually ate, kiddie chopsticks and all. She was thrilled to receive some Hello Kitty Japanese cookies and to play with their new kitten. The little guy was no bigger than my foot, and ran out to greet her as soon as she came in and they pretty much played together the whole evening. By the time we left, we wanted a kitten, and they wanted a child. If only it was this easy HALF of the time. Then, we'd want another kid too!