I just spoke with Steph. Her grandmother died this week.

She was relatively young, too. Only 68. But she had been rough on her body her whole life. Drinking too much. Allowing diabetes to run out of control. Apparently her body just called it quits, without much warning at all.

It is frightening how quickly the people we love can be snatched from our lives.

Steph is, understandably, having a rough time of it right now. I wish I could do more to help.

It also makes me think that I should make more of an effort with my own grandmother. She is old, and likely won�t be with us for a whole lot longer. But, gods, if there is one person who can drive me positively batty, it�s her. I really should try harder, though.

On a much more positive note, I am absolutely amazed at Carissa�s imagination. She can spend hours making up songs, having pretend conversations on the phone, �reading� you stories that she creates.

Tonight, for example, she spent the better part of an hour wrapping up a small box in a blanket like a baby. She�d rock it, put it in the stroller, take it back out and re-wrap it in the blanket. You�d think that perhaps this child didn�t have a room-full of toys, including several dolls that would have made much more realistic �babies.� But, instead of those ready-made play things, she played baby with a cardboard box.

I envy her such an active imagination.

She�s taken to calling me at work in the evening to tell me what she�s �made� me for dinner, in hopes of enticing me home earlier. In case you haven�t had the pleasure, let me tell you that having a phone conversation with a two-year old is rather challenging. On a good day, I manage to understand about half of what she�s saying. But I love those calls. Almost as much as I love the way she yells, �Jeeeessssss is hooooome!� and runs to give me a hug as soon as I walk in the door.

I�ll be damned. I think I�m beginning to actually like living with a two year old. Or, at least, this two year old.

Unfortunately, I�ve brought work home with me that hasn�t managed to get itself done yet. So, I�m off to edit an opinion, followed by yoga, and (hopefully) bed at a decent hour.

Listening To: the two year old sing her made up songs
Reading: legal crap
Feeling: thoughtful