A Girl And Her Granddad

When my oldest nephew, Ryan, was just a little guy when he tried to say Granddad and Grandmom it turned into Dad Daddy and Mom Mommy. It stuck...albeit shortened to Dad Dad and Mom Mom. When Lily first met her Dad Dad she did not quite know what to make of the gentle bearded giant. Not to worry. Dad has a way with kids (with all people really) and he made a concerted effort to win Lily over. We see my dad every Sunday for breakfast but Dad tries to see Lily more frequently. When Dad is with Lily he makes it a point to feed her, play with her, sign with her, and just find any way he can to connect with her. It's worked! Lily is crazy about her Dad Dad!

Tonight, Dad joined us for dinner at our favorite restaurant, Salsa Grill. In May the restaurant suffered a devastating fire during business hours. Luckily no one was injured. Years ago when I worked at Social Security (no, it wasn't just a bad dream...I really worked there) my co-workers and I went to the Salsa Grill frequently for lunch. One day Mary Beth joined us and Jay, the owner of the restaurant, took a special interest in Mary Beth's food allergies. Over time Jay has become a friend of the family. He has catered many different events for our family (Mom's wake, Ryan and Jamie's high school graduation parties, my 40th, and more.) Tonight was the restaurant's grand re-opening and we were so happy to be there to celebrate it with them. Lily loved the spinach empanadas, corn tamales, and papusas. She said "yum yum" after every bite and did a little 'good food' dance in her high chair. I think Jay might hire her to do a commercial for him!

Here are a few pictures of Lily and her Dad Dad.