Repost: 10 Years Later

Marlene's Birthday

My youngest niece turned 13 today.  13!!!  So in honour of her birthday, I thought I'd re-post the story of her third birthday. All the things I saw in her at the age of three, remain and have expanded in these last 10 years. She is bright and smart and innovative and funny and creative. She is sensitive and kind and compassionate. She has the same joie de vivre and enthusiasm that she had when she was riding down the stairs at age 2. It is such a delight to see her grow into more of who she is, as she has become more and more of a young lady. My brother and SIL have done a remarkable job with all their daughters, and I am so grateful to be their auntie!  

Here's the post from 10 years ago:

Last weekend, we celebrated Niece Marlene's 3rd birthday. I LOVE this girl. She's so smart and funny. A familiar refrain is, Marlene! What are you doing? She replies, Plotting and scheming. Thanks to my brother.

On the famous YouTube stairs.

SIL was v. wise to get ONE balloon colour. Noooooo! I want the red ballooooooon! All avoided. It was a smallish affair with just the extended fam of aunties & grandparents. SIL picked up a cake. As a fan of Cakewrecks, I was hoping for something with a bit more wreckiness, but we got this:

You call yourself a Cakewreck?

Cakewreck worthy? Well no. But I do appreciate the migrating border in all its ploppiness. And the squiggly writing. And the brown leaves around the Crisco roses; v. appropriate for the winter season. Cue music: All the leaves are brown . . .all-the-leaves-are-brown . . . and the sky is grey . . . and-the-sky-is-grey . . . . If only it said "Happe Brithday" or we'd had a few misplaced quote marks. Alas.

That night at dinner after the rest of the extended fam left, we were at dinner. Mum asked Marlene how she liked her birthday. It was incredible, she replied. That's right, she's 3.

To the "brithday" gril:

May you're thrid year be

as good as to.

Underneat that write

Yay U in blue 

B-day Girl

Today we're celebrating Marlene's birthday. She is 3 today. And FABULOUS. Here she is in her famous YouTube film:


Now she wants to go on mylittlepony.com No clue what that is. I'm about to find out. Time to go play.

Day of Rest: Mensa Girl

You may remember my niece Marlene from her YouTube classic, Marlene Goes down the Stairs. As I posted yesterday, she was sitting on my lap. She saw my blog and said, "Hey! There's a labyrinth!" pointing to my profile picture. Then she said, "Hey! There's another one!" pointing to the one in the blog header. Then she explains, "You can trace it with your finger."

Still only 2-years-old. Wow.

If You Need a Good Laugh . . .

This is Brother D's youngest, Marlene. She is so smart and funny and sweet. Marlene! What are you doing? is a familiar refrain. I'll get it on video yet, my brother calls it her Guilty Dance; I wasn't doing anything wrong. See? I'm just dancing.

My favourite on here is her second pass down when she yells, "Awesome!!!" My brother makes a brief appearance to investigate. That can't be good for you sweetie, he says. Later that day we went shopping and I took footage of him riding the shopping cart in the parking lot. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. :-)