I've gotten the chance over the last two weeks to spend some quality 1 on 1 time with Nyssa, and it has been really fun. For instance we spent a part of Sunday sledding at the local golf course. I was mindful that she was 2 and gentle and so I took an easy grade and went down with her.
However the hill was complete ice and so we still managed to gain significant speed, and crash at the bottom. I held Nyssa up above me as I slid through the rough ice, and I never made a sound as I began to bleed. I wanted Nyssa to think this was fun. She didn't.
"I don't want to sled anymore." she said.
"This is fun" I said. And I got on the sled and went further down the hill. Once then Twice.
"You want to try that?" I pushed her and she took the hill twice, humoring me.
"I want to go to the park." She said pointing to school playground across the street.
I would have gone, but Katy was going to be picking us up, and without a phone I couldn't have told her where we were.
So I pulled Nyssa back up to the top of the big hill, "I don't want to go down the hill," she said.
So I pulled her around and around the top of the hill. There was no one else there watch, no one to emulate, and so nothing to do. I was hot crunching through the ice, but Nyssa riding diaper-less, on the sled was cold. Katy would be coming when she came, and not a second sooner. I had not given up on sledding. I walked to the edge of a slight incline. To me, it looked like Nyssa would travel 20 feet and stop. Without saying anything, I gave her a push.
And away she went. As I was watching her, the smooth trail I sent her down suddenly became ragged with bumps. "Don't fall" I winced as she headed for a large divit. She passed right by it and kept going. She was going fast and showing no sign of slowing down. It was like a movie scene, there was my daughter sledding off towards the 18th hole, showing no inclination to stop.
I wanted to stand and watch her, it was funny as hell, but I knew she'd be upset so I started to run down the hill. Nyssa turned around to look for me, "Daddy!" she yelled as she began to slow down. I wish I had video, because it was outstanding.
She was fine, I played up how far she'd gone and how fast she'd gone. I offered her my scarf to keep her warm. And she told me, "No more big hills." as I dragged her back to the parking lot to wait for Katy.
I do not have a video our sledding adventure, but I do have this video showing how sweet Nyssa is to Leila, and how big Leila is getting.


Last night Katy had to take Leila to the Doctor for an ear infection. So Nyssa and I were sitting around and playing "Goodnight Moon" the board game. As I was teaching her about 3 Card Monte she began to talk about one of her classmates penis'.
"Preteem, gets to lower his penis down," she started and I was worried about where she was going, "and goto the potty standing up."
She talked about his penise for a while and then I asked, "Do you have a penis?" I knew she knew she didn't, but I wanted to hear what she thought she had. Nothing, as it happens.
"No," she said. "I have buns." (That cracked me up. Even more so because she was futzing around on the potty the other day and I asked what she was doing and she said, "scratching my ass." so apparently her bottom vocabulary is pretty far advanced)
And although there is the British, and their calling the Vagina a fanny, I didn't want Nyssa walking around thinking she lacked anything. So I said, "you don't have a penis, but you do have a vagina."
But I didn't draw a picture or anything so I'm not sure if she knows where what she has is.