Runs in the family

I spent a couple of days with my 4 1/2 year old niece, Mame Diarra, this week. I've talked about her on this blog a bit before - mostly about how much she loves the ocean, and how unspeakably happy that makes me.

Mame Diarra loves being in water. She can't swim yet, but she has no fear whatsoever so when you take her in the ocean or a pool, you have to watch/hold onto her her really carefully. The other day, we were in Brisbane, so I took her and she was in heaven. She was straight in there and jumping off the starting blocks and insisting that even though she can't swim, I let go of her so she could try. When I let her go she kicks and thrashes her arms and juts her chin out and smiles as wide as you can imagine. Oh man, I love her.

After our swim we went to the park where she climbed high on all the equipment and made me climb up there with her. I gave up after a while and sat on the swing, so she started pushing me higher and higher. Then she got my phone and took photos of me swinging through the air.

And then she claimed it was her turn and insisted that I push her even higher, higher, higher.

'I know everything', she told me later.

'No you don't', I replied. 'No-one knows everything. And nobody likes a know-it-all anyway.'

'Okay, what don't I know?'

'Well, you don't know how to drive.'

'Yeah, but one day you'll teach me and then I'll know that too.' She looked at me and smiled, knowing she was right.

Attitude like that? Yeah, it runs in the family.