Turning Two

Last night we celebrated baby Angeli’s second birthday.  It seems like just yesterday that we were driving a very pregnant Glenda to the hospital so she could give birth to a perfect baby girl.

Glenda is now 21.  She is still in high school, determined to graduate.  She continues to work 6 days a week to help her family pay the rent on their 3-bedroom apartment.  I hesitate to think how many people are living in that space.

But they are all doing amazingly well.  Glenda now speaks English with quite a bit of confidence.  Angeli’s father is definitely still in the picture.  She and her family haven’t had to move again.  The children are all growing and becoming more and more Americanized.  Currently everyone seems to be employed.

It’s always an eye-opener to realize that Angeli’s grandmother is 36 years old while in our 60’s we have no grandchildren and none on the horizon.

Glenda’s mother had cooked a delicious meal and there were a lot of guests to celebrate.  The TV continued to entertain in Spanish when the salsa music took a break. 

Angeli seemed to love the presents we brought.  I wonder if anyone will read Peter Rabbit to her.  I wonder if they have ever even heard that tale. 

As Angeli batted balloons around, it became apparent how coordinated she was.  She delighted in the other present we gave her -- a maze with 4 colored balls and a hammer.  She very quickly figured out how to make the balls go down the chute.  She worried about the red ball that another little girl carried around.



Seeing how well Angeli is turning out and how every much her family loves her made me determined to stay involved in their lives and to help that little girl realize the American dream.