Leina's Not A Baby

Leina's really starting to understand a lot more than we realize.

• On the way home from Alta Ski Resort last Friday, Wami took the east bench of I-215 home, which we only drive once in a while.  Leina suddenly asked Wami in broken Japanese "Are we going to Rachel's house?"  So even though it's only a few miles stretch, and Wami only uses that part of the freeway twice a month, Leina recognized that this was the way to Rachel's house!  Looks like there's a good chance she'll have that uncanny sense of direction her brother and mother have.  (Dad's pretty decent too, but not quite at the near-photographic-memory level of the others.)
• While Mirei and Taisei were watching TV the other evening, Leina was busy in the kitchen.  She put chopstick, forks, spoons, knives, and cups on the table in an attempt to set up the table.  She can hardly reach up onto the table so she had to do an awkward stomach crawl onto the stool with a bunch of stuff in each hand.  She was particular about the cups and things she chose for different people.  Then, after she was done, she stormed into the living room, bent over forwards for emphasis, and yelled at her siblings "TAISEI, MIREI!  GOHAN DEKITA YO!"  Translated "Taisei, Mirei! Dinner's ready!"
• She's now 84 cm in height.  That's 2'9".