I can always tell when we’ve arrived in Beaumont because, in spite of being in the car, you can feel the humidity rising to levels that will destroy your hair no matter how much Super-Hold Aquanet you’ve applied.
And I know this for a fact because I singlehandedly used enough Super-Hold Aquanet throughout high school to ensure that there was a big hole in the ozone layer right over Southeast Texas, and it still wasn’t enough to help my spiral permed curls defy gravity.
We went straight to Nanny’s house and arrived just as the party started. Caroline informed that she was going to be a “little bit shy” and it actually took her all of thirty seconds to come out of her shell.
However, it only took her eighteen seconds to find the electric organ in the back room.
If I had a nickel for every time I played “Little Brown Jug” on that organ while my sister provided sound effects by hiccuping in the background, well, I would have a lot of nickels. I can offer no explanation as to why my sister and I were so fascinated by a song about a drunk hillbilly.
This party was the first time the entire family has been together in over ten years, so we spent a lot of time catching up with everyone and laughing at old memories. Apparently, this past Christmas Nanny announced at lunch that no one else in the family would live as long as she has because they’re all too soft.
It was just like a moment from one of those sappy Lifetime channel holiday movies.
Here’s Nanny blowing out the candles on her birthday cake. Please note we did not have 90 candles because a house fire would have been tragic since there wasn’t anyone there strong enough to carry out the electric organ.
Also note that half the cake has already been eaten. We take our cake seriously.
Later on that evening, the whole family went out to eat at Casa Ole’. Even though I live in the birthplace of great Mexican food (Well, kind of. I guess technically Mexico is the birthplace of great Mexican food.) there is still something about that Dinner El Paso coming out fresh from the microwave that makes me happy.
I have no explanation for this and I should be embarrassed to admit it, but it’s who I am and I’ll own it. I sometimes enjoy fake Mexican food.
Caroline wanted to sit right next to the birthday girl at dinner because she has an innate ability to sniff out where the action will happen. Sure enough, the waitstaff brought Nanny a dessert while singing “Happy Chimichanga to You”.
Truly, one of the most underrated birthday songs in history.
That’s my child trying to steal a dessert from her great-grandmother. She has no shame.
The next day, Amy and I decided to take the girls to the mall with hopes of providing some type of air-conditioned entertainment. Naturally, Sarah had to bring “tato head” as part of her entourage.
Who knew the mall would be such a hotspot for toddler entertainment? The girls were able to take forty second ride on a mechanical school bus that only cost Amy and me $4.25 in lost quarters before we found a bus that actually worked.
Then, as we made our way down the mall, I saw something way off in the distance that frightened me. I saw children bouncing way up in the air while attached to some sort of harness. Discreetly, I whispered to Amy, “I think we should turn around before Caroline sees this.”
But it was too late. She had spied it with her little eye and was off and running towards all the bouncing. It turns out that there is bungee bouncing in the mall. In Beaumont, Texas. Who knew?
All we have at our mall here is a lame playscape with some hollowed out trees to provide minutes of imaginary play.
The girls were so tired after our big mall adventure that they fell asleep on the way home. Perfection.
We finally arrived back at Nanny’s house where Caroline spent the rest of the afternoon carrying around Nanny’s poor cat.
Between the cat and the electric organ, it was an abundance of riches.
A good time was had by all (well except for maybe the cat) and on Saturday night I sat around with my mom, my Nanny, and my sister while we watched the Miss Universe pageant. It felt like I’d stepped back in time about thirty years.
Except this time the stubborn little girl who refused to go to bed for fear of missing all the fun wasn’t me, but my daughter.
Later that night, I curled up in bed with her, the same bed where I’ve slept since childhood, the bed where I spent so many Christmas Eves’ listening for Santa Claus, where I stayed up reading way too late because Nanny would let me, where I cried over more than one bad breakup with a boyfriend, and I was filled with gratitude for that moment.
The blessing of watching life come full circle.
Before we left the next day, Nanny told us that she was going to have to get her handicapped sticker renewed for her car. She hadn’t realized it expired until my aunt pointed it out, because when she got it a few years ago they told her it was good for life.
My aunt said, “They probably didn’t think you’d live this long”.
And Nanny replied, “I guess I showed them”.
I’m so glad she did.