Lesson Learned

Well the 90th birthday party for Babcia went off without a hitch, although Babcia herself was a little out of it. She knew what was going on but lost threads of conversation easily and at one point I watched her stare, open-mouthed, at my uncle while he told a story about his pet crow that he rescued as a baby. He was angry because he spent a hundred and fifty dollars at a bird vet to find out what was wrong with one of the crow's toes and then the crow went and gnawed it off, solving the problem Aron Ralston-style through self-amputation.

Anyhoo, by the next day Babcia was sprightly again and she definitely enjoyed the party and really liked my cake. I enjoyed hanging with my Polish cousins, one of whom brought the Babcia both a giant bag of trashy novels and a blanket to cover herself with "while she reads her porn."

I also learned an important lesson this weekend: Much like you should never get involved in a land war in Asia, or go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line, it is pretty much a bad idea to get into a belching battle with two ten year old and one seven year old boy, because you will not win. And because the seven year old will stand in front of you ripping off belch after belch while mimicking firing a pair of six shooters into the air, one after another after another after another after another after another...well, you get the picture. This little charmer also grabbed my butt and tried to take off my bathing suit in the swimming pool! Aye yi yi. I told him this was very inappropriate and he stopped, but geez.