She wanted a toe-nail polish theme for this past weekend's affair...a conjoined celebration, a dual fête...two sets of parents sharing resources and combining forces, one preteen posse prancing poolside. So Daniela baked, and Lori (half of the other parental coefficient) frosted. Then, I decorated. The meticulous piping and detailing took time. But, it was well-spent pondering her dulcet dispositions and all the recent tumbling along the adolescent balance beam.Daily, she serenades us with pleas for a cell phone and henna tattoos. I search her expressive eyes and see traces of me...long ago...the ectomorphic architecture, the penchant for pleasant and logical argumentation, the predilection for pralines and other sweets, the collection of comic books.
I smile and enjoy the delicate friendship that unravels alongside her transformation. Later, after the pool party, after she's opened the gifts, she whispers..."Papa, we have to talk about the cell phone." I smirk. She giggles. "Later," I tell her. "Later," she winks self-assuredly, a sassy sorceress at work manipulating 41 years of cell growth...condensing bone and tissue, ligaments and lipids, enamel and cartilage...effortlessly wrapping them around her finger.
You can join the chlorinated celebration by splashing here.
4 comments:
Happy birthday Gaby!!!!! Wow you have an 11 year old too!! Time flies doesn't it?! Once in a while I look at Morgan and can't believe he is almost a teenager....I remember when we were that age and it does not seem that long ago when we had birthday pool parties at Los Rotarios...remember???
I remember that pool. I also remember swimming relay races at summer camp. (You said that when the boys swam it looked like the Pan-American Games.) You also had a white "two-piece" bathing suit that was quite disruptive. :) Ahhh. Those days were priceless. Oh. You remember me diving in the pool for pennies, and then swallowing one that I had put in my mouth. I remember the many X-rays of that white little circle in my mid-section. Ay Ay Ay.
ha ha this is a really funny exchange. ok, so i loved the pictures and the party theme. i really want my next birthday to be like Gaby's. Amalia, toma notas!! Happy birthday Gaby!!
Happy Birthday Gaby !! Funny, as I was looking at the pictures I was also thinking of the parties at Los Rotarios... good times !!
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