living the here and now: My Granddaughter Turned Ten

On the first day of summer vacation, my granddaughter called her Abolita, her paternal grandma.

"Lita", she said on the phone, since she couldn't pronounce Abolita in full when she was younger, so grandma remained as "Lita".

"It's my birthday on Monday, Yana (her cousin, the same age as she), and I want lunch at the Town, then let's shop for my gift". she said. Can Abolita refuse?

The next day, we also brought her to lunch.

"Do you like to go to Buona Vita, so you can eat your favorite pasta, ala vongole?", I asked and she was quiet on the other end.

"How about Le Petite Cherrie, the French restaurant?"

"I love Le Petite, haven't been there for quite awhile and I like to eat the chicken. But .... wait, it has mash potatoes, can't eat that since that's my Lenten sacrifice", she said.

"Then have then change that to fries or veggies", I said.

We ended up at Chili's.

"What gift do you want, money?", my husband asked while we were having lunch.

"No, Papa. I like to shop at Peppermint". That's a brand of girls' apparel. I gathered she did not like money this time since that will go to her bank. Her gift from her uncle had that fate.

"Can I get one item here and one accessory at Claire's?", she asked.

"Ok", I said. She got two shorts, and even though I asked her to get a top as well, she refused, "I already have lots of tops Nana".

"Do you want one more shorts?"

"Try and feel this Nana", she said as she crumpled one, "it's rough, but these two are soft and smooth", pointing to the two she selected.

Times have really changed. When I was her age, we my mama bought me dresses at Cinderella herself; I didn't get to choose.

Two shops from Peppermint, the salesgirl at Claire's greeted her:

"Weren't you here yesterday?"

"Yes", I replied for her. "She was with her other grandma".

It took her quite sometime to choose. She got another costume bracelet almost similar to what she got yesterday.

When her parents asked what she wanted to do on her birthday, she said she wants to stay overnight in a hotel. They often bring her traveling, she loves hotel life. When she turned 8, she celebrated her birthday in Paris. This was taken on her 8th birthday.

This time, her parents took a day's leave from work and they spent the eve of her birthday at the Peninsula hotel. Here she is having dessert after dinner.

After lunch the next day, her birthday, they invited her two cousins and her two sets of grandparents for snacks at Stackers. Here she is blowing the candle on her birthday cake.

She was sitting beside me, while her mom was ready to take a shot, I saw her hesitate blowing the candle, instead she closed her eyes about a second or two, and I thought, maybe she made a wish. Here's more pictures with her parents and also with us.