Proudest moment so far

It occurred this morning as we played in the backyard with Niranjana.

First, we were playing with a rubber ball, which I would throw across the yard and she would retrieve with great glee. We turned this into a little soccer match, and I could have sworn Niranjana was even bending it like Beckham. She took two smaller, softball-sized balls and was chucking them across the yard. I was amazed with how far she could throw them.

Her dear Grandfather Ed would have been proud. We lost my dad this summer, before he could meet his granddaughter. He was always my baseball, basketball and golf coach growing up, and he would have liked to see this apparent athletic ability in her.

As she was retrieving a ball she threw near the grapevines, Melissa plucked off a Sangiovese grape to see if Niranjana would eat it. Not only did she eat it, but she also went after some more, figuring out they had seeds and spitting them out. We finally had to drag her away from the vines, whimpering for more of the Brunello-clone Sangiovese grapes.

So, she seems to love playing sports and eating world-class wine grapes. That makes me a proud papa.