Another Month

[alt_nymphadora]

Albia is eleven months old today. She's talking like anything, and sometimes we can even tell what she's meaning to say. I'm her old 'Ma', and Junius is her 'Pa', and then there's the sorry old dog who adopted us, and we're pretty sure he's 'Da', though I heard her call one of the stray cats that, too, this week.

She has her own words for nearly everything, but we're not properly sure they stay the same from day to day. At any rate, we've been too dim to learn most of them. We've been trying to teach her that we always say 'Please' when we'd like someone to give us something and 'Ta' when they do.

Junius insists she said 'Ta' back to him Friday night when he handed her the soother she'd dropped, but I think it's just wishful thinking. I saw it all, and what she was really doing when she said it, was giving her soother to the 'Da'. I think she's pretty well decided she likes her thumb better, anyway.

She has a jolly sense of humour. She thinks it's especially clever when old Pa Ponds makes her food zoom around before it settles on her tray. Or when he takes his egg cup at breakfast and wears it as a cap. That always makes her laugh.

And she's all but walking now. She pulls up and then moves around, going from whatever she's got hold of to the next closest thing she can grab onto. She especially likes to ramble along the shelves in the shop, because then whenever she tips over and finds herself sat on the floor, there's always loads of reshelving to be done to help us out!

I can't think what we did before we had her. And she'll be a whole year old next month!

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[alt_sirius]

I could've sworn last week she was using 'Da' for Remus and 'Pa' for me but you're right, it doesn't seem to have quite settled yet. Then again, I was thinking that the poor kid's got to be the most confused baby on the face of the earth, between you changing your face to amuse her, Remus with all the spells he uses to look like Junius and then there's me. How many of these people does she think are her family?

I guess we're lucky she hasn't decided to be frightened of any of the versions of ourselves she sees on a regular basis.

Still, it's fair amazing what goes on in that little head, innit?

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[alt_nymphadora]

Well, it makes more sense that she'd call the doggy 'Da', don't you think?

And just imagine what our relations would say about it if I told the world that Bea's decided that the family dog is her 'Pa'.

As for the changing, I think she's got it in mind that that's all perfectly natural. After all, she can do it herself.

She was busy trying to do your nose last night. Almost had it, too. I suppose it will be a mustache next. Actually, I wonder if she could do.

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[alt_sirius]

Sinbad. Padfoot. Either one has a sort of 'Pa' sound. But it does make me wonder what'll happen when she really masters words. Names. You know she has a name for Kreacher, too?

My nose? Or my snout? Given the show she gave Hydra, it's possible she'll get the hang of facial hair, yeah.

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[alt_alice]

It's hard to believe that Bea will be a year old in a month's time! Goodness.

I was thinking it might be fun to bring Kevin up for a visit and a proper birthday party for Bea's first next month, if you wouldn't mind the extra company, that is! He already knows one or two birthday songs, because we sing them at least once a month at dinner.

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[alt_nymphadora]

It would be lovely to have a proper party. I wonder if we'll have hired someone by then. I don't suppose that has to make a difference, but, well. It might.

We had notice today that we're to expect an inspector from the Ministry one day this week to have a look at whether our home and shop will be suitable for a Muggleborn placement.

I think Remus plans to ask if they couldn't tell us more specifically which day and what time, as my schedule at the Ministry means I'm asleep into the afternoon. I don't know whether they'll accommodate us or whether they'll decide we're trying to game the inspection.

At any rate, we're making sure it looks like the Ponds live a normal shopkeeps' life in Doughty Conduit that could only be improved if they were allowed to hire a bit of help from Muggleborn Labour.

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[alt_alice]

If they are there in a month's time, I'll just be Remus's sister again. That works rather well. Only I'd hoped Frank could come too, with Will, so Sirius could spoil him a bit, so we'd have to take that into account too.

I'm sure we could make it manageable, and have a grand time even we had to put on false names while we were there. It'd most likely be a shorter visit, though.

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[alt_sirius]

Considering that Kevin's on Remus' short list of acceptable dates for our Bea, might as well start throwing the two of them together straight off, eh?

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[alt_alice]

It couldn't hurt, could it?

[alt_hydra]

I didn't know she was so close to being a year old. Has she learnt to make any new faces? How are all the animals doing?

Please tell Mr Ponds that I said Hello, as well.

From,
Hydra

[alt_nymphadora]

Why, hello, there!

Bea's trying new faces every day. Noses, mostly, but last weekend she made her ears pointy. I've been trying to show her about lop-ears, which she thinks is very funny, but she hasn't tried it herself yet.

We've quite a menagerie, don't we? We're still feeding the cats. Luckily there haven't been any new kittens recently--that we've found, at any rate. I'm still putting out food on the upper sill for my bird friends, but they're understandably cautious. There's still only the one dog. I think he scares off any others who might nose about. Oh, and Bea's still very fond of a certain Sing Ami bunny she had from a favourite cousin of hers!

Mr Ponds says 'Hello' back and wonders how you are getting on with end of term projects and exams coming on.