My mom came to have a late brunch with us at the Ritz where Dan is attending a conference.

Liliana has christened my mother “Gamma,” and let me tell you, she has Gamma wrapped around her finger.  She was asking about her the next day.  “Gamma?” as in “Is Gamma coming back?” or “Will I see her again?” or “More chocolate?”

Really, my mother adored and doted on little L, and they made a lovely pair, the two of them.

Liliana had to take a nap in the middle of it all, so Dan took her up to our room.  Dan said she slept little, wanting nothing more to return to Gamma.  Dan took a picture of her determined gait (note the swinging arms!) on the return down the hallway to the elevators.  She led Dan down to the lounge area, searching for us.

We explored the hot tub area and studied the ants on the cement.

We walked along the marina to see the boats…oh, and to search for dogs.  It looks like we’re in prison, but it’s simply the gate on the residential side.

Later that evening, my mom baby sat at the hotel, while Dan and I went to dinner with our director friend Herschel who’s gearing up to direct Dan’s movie this summer.  While L and Gamma played, we were chowing down at The Palm Restaurant in downtown L.A. where the surrounding area’s been transformed into something that reminded us of downtown Orlando or Times Square–huge screens of advertisements and lighted trees and the all-around buzz of hipness.  I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it.  It used to be really run-down and scary.

We get back to the hotel, and my mom sighs and says, “Oh, I’m such a horrible babysitter.  You’ll never let me baby sit again!”  Of course we would.  My mother is great with kids.

“She was so congested, you know,” said my mother.  “I felt bad making her go to sleep.  She started to cry a little when I laid her down for bedtime.  So instead, I told her if she’d lie there, I’d sing to her.  So I did.  And every time I stopped, she’d sing, “Ga-mma, Ga-mma,” so I’d sing another.  I did this for 50 minutes until she fell asleep!  Oh, I know I should have been more firm…”

Ah, all I could think was, Liliana is loved, and she doesn’t know what she has, to have such an adoring and patient grandmother.  And one that will sing to her–her favorite pastime ever!