"Do you have to be in Ottawa to [have a McJob]? Couldn't you get one here?"

A couple days ago, my sister talked to our 5 year old niece. Apparently, Bella really wanted to talk to me so Colette told her to phone me at noon yesterday. She didn't end up calling but it wasn't guaranteed that she would anyway. Today, I phoned home and for some reason, Bella was too shy to talk to me. She ended up talking to me through her mom. She asked me why I had to live here to get the type of job I have and why I couldn't do that back home. She also basically told me that if I move home, I could work at the Casino I worked at before and make more money than I am making now. While I was amazed that she thought about stuff like that, she was probably right about the casino. Eventually, I hang up because she wasn't talking to me and I didn't really have a whole lot to say to her mom. Two minutes later, she phoned back and actually spoke directly to me. She told me everything that happened to her in the last two months. It was very interesting. I love talking to my niece. Some days, she doesn't really feel like talking but when she talks it is very entertaining. I really do miss her though. Based on her disappointment that I am not back there with them, she misses me too.

Happy Birthday Bella!

Today-ish is my niece Bella's 5th birthday (She was born on February 29th). I can't believe she is already 5 years old. I remember the day she was born and how excited I was. I also remember going to see my sister in the hospital and ending up staying there for 4 hours to keep her company. For the first 3 years of her life, I pretty much saw her every day and took care of her quite a bit. Then I moved to Boston and then to Ottawa and I haven't seen her nearly as much. I miss her quite a bit. She's a smart little girl and doesn't let much get past her. She also uses ridiculously large words for a girl her age. Hopefully, she will get over her fear of flying and come to see me sometime soon. Anyway, Happy Birthday Bella!