Just a Little Pedantic.

So my apartment was invaded again last weekend when my niece PG came for another sleepover.

I don't know how she does it when she's here for one night only, but it's like a Tasmanian Devil has ripped through my place.

Every perfume bottle is sniffed and the various merits of each discussed, each pair of shoes I own are tried on by my very own Cinderella, my kitchen is coated in flour dust and my carpet is liberally strewn with DVDs.

This may be normal 6 year old activity, but PG is not without her little quirks.

I came back into my place after dropping her home (120km round trip - her parents should be MUCH nicer to me) to find all of my perfume bottles lined up in height order. And found all of my shoes arranged not just in colour order, but also in the all-important 'height of heel' within those colours.

So my question this evening is this: just out of sheer curiosity, is it at all possible for a niece or nephew inherit any traits of people who aren't their parents or grandparents? Say, in a totally random example, the traits of an aunt?

Whatever. I've no idea what you're talking about.

Blood Will Out.

I'm writing this sitting on one side of my couch. My five year (and 11 months, she'd want me to clarify) old niece PG is perched on the other, engrossed in our umpteenth screening of 'Beauty of the Beast'.

I adore PG - she's hysterically funny when she least means to be, and what a drama queen! I'm spending a precious Saturday night in hibernation for one of our regular sleepovers, but her commentary on this DVD is entertainment enough.

The highlights for me, without a doubt, have been:

Intro V/O: "..For who could truly ever love a Beast?"

PG: "Hasn't he watched this movie yet? Doesn't he know how it ends?"

Beauty & Beast on the sweeping balcony, swept up in a romantic moment.

PG: "Uh oh. Is he going to push her off the edge?"

So while I understand that a lot of people are concerned with the rise of 'princess culture' and its impact on young children, and in particular little girls, I don't foresee a time when I'll hesitate before popping a Disney movie in the DVD player.

It appears as though the cynicism which runs deep in my family certainly hasn't skipped a generation.