My one and only niece turns one!

There's nothing quite like having kids (or watching them grow up rather...) to make you realise your age. The first born of my god-brother is now in Secondary One (I had a mild seizure and a heart attack at that news) with his younger sister in Primary Six, and the youngest brother in Primary Two. The other two daughters of the younger god-brother are both in primary school. But secondary school takes the cake. I still have vague memories of secondary school, and here it is this boy - I still remember when he was a baby and I carried him in my arms - in secondary school.

My niece (the one and only) - daughter of my brother - turned one on May 12th. We had a birthday celebration for her (one of those you are sure she would not remember when she gets older) to mark the event - and it was a coming of age not only for her, but for the whole family. I cannot remember a time when there was more focus on kinship, kids (my family ain't kid-friendly in general) and the home for my family.

Thessaly (my niece - so named after my nick in secondary school/a witch in Gaiman's Sandman novels/art capital of Greece) played pretty much the entire day and promptly sought my shoulder and fell asleep, not to be woken again until she got home.

It was this time last year that I was having budget reviews with the corporate VP at the time and praising her for good timing for being born right after my review (so I could have a good break) and this time this year, the same cycle repeats itself.

I can't believe we've all survived a year with a baby. It's an amazing time to be an aunt and I've been just the kind of aunt I'd thought I'd be... the kind that spends too much money and too little time on the kid. *sheepish grin* I've come to the realization that it's good fortune I'm not having kids of my own, because I'm crap at taking care of them long-term. That, and my own independent nature gets in the way. Still, she's been pretty good fun, and I'm looking forward to more years of her - especially when she starts talking, walking, playing...