She is due on my birthday, October 1, 2019. But as usual, my granddaughter Noa has her own plans and arrives early on September 26. For the last few years, I have been out of town on our birthdays. But this year, I am in town, and my daughter Carly, granddaughter Noa, and I decided to celebrate in style—let me clarify—Noa style.

Our first stop was a nail salon for a Mani-Pedi. Noa selected our colors—and I mean the plural. Noa insists that each nail sports a different hue. She also chose our toenail shades—one color for ten toes—Phew! Our final stop was a chichi (very fancy for my 5-year-old readers) restaurant.

Directions from a 5-year-old Diva

“Nana, for my birthday dinner, will you please brush your hair and use the cream I use on my hair?” I told Noa that no matter how much I brush my hair, it will not fall in long, beautiful, silky curls like hers. My natural frizz will have to suffice. And I need to remind her that it is our birthday dinner.

“Nana, can you wear your contacts instead of glasses?”  Help, I have a mini-Joan Rivers directing our birthday appearance. For reasons her 5-year-old self can’t understand, I must forgo contacts that evening. A long, boring story shrunk into one sentence—a fingernail that wasn’t filed and a cornea that was scratched while removing my contacts.

And now the pièce de résistance (I had to use a fancy phrase to stay within Noa’s theme): “Nana, will you wear a sparkly dress?” I don’t own a sparkly dress, but my daughter Carly loaned me a frock she wore to a wedding. Carly slipped on a black dress, also reserved for weddings, and Noa donned a white dress with gold sparkly adornments.

I just wanted to let you know that walking into the local nail salon with sparkles and silver heels was awkward, but as a Nana, you do as instructed. And I was in good company. We drove to the restaurant almost two hours later, nails and toes gleaming.

Giancarlo’s Sicilian Steakhouse is a bustling, trendy spot in Williamsville, New York. Even at 5:30 p.m., there is a buzz flowing within the dining arena—yes, some of that buzz is probably from alcohol, but not all of it. Our party of three is led to our table in the Florence Room (shout out to Sheryl and Barbaras’ 101-year-old mother with the same name!). We are all acting ladylike until we sit down.

Noa is hungry and wants to eat NOW. But this is a fancy restaurant, and you need fancy manners. All three of us had to remember to keep our elbows off the table, use our napkins, and speak softly. Try explaining that to a five-year-old or the lovely couple at the table next to us. We settled on a Mediterranean Platter appetizer, and Shirley Temple drink for Noa to keep her famish at bay. Carly and I enjoyed an adult drink while quickly perusing the menu. We decided on crab-crusted salmon (minus all the yucky crab on my plate) layered on spinach and mashed potato, and Noa had pasta plus an entire bread basket.

Dinner was sumptuous, and now, for the best part—dessert! Noa chose a chocolate molten cake, and I had chocolate gelato. Two special Happy Birthday plates, adorned with colorful decorations and our names, were placed in front of the birthday girls. Two Happy Birthday songs and two candles were extinguished, along with all the dessert!

We were out of there by 7 p.m. when all the serious eaters, daters, drinkers, and diners were walking in for their turn at Delicious.

Fashion aside, the true highlight was the gift of time spent with my daughter and granddaughter. Three generations of women—Okay, two women and one diva. From frizzy hair to purple toes, I felt grateful for this birthday memory. It’s moments like these that make us reflect on life and the memories we create. I hope that Noa recalls our special day when she is older – and – geez, I hope I remember it when I am older .

Tonight starts the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, during which we fast and ask to enter the Book of Life. May all my readers be sealed into the Book of Life, and may you be happy, healthy, and safe.