"It's Cake Time," Called Out Carina

"It's cake time," called out our Anne's and my granddaughter Carina at her birthday party on Sunday, March 17th, just one day before her actual 5th birthday. Her little high pitched voice got the attention of most of the party attendees, as her dad, our son Clayton, lit the candles.

The  party was held on a sunny day in the backyard of her home and there were 35 to 40 children in attendance and about 80 people in all. The high point of the party for many people was likely the magician, a very personable man, who entertained the children and their families as much with his comedy as he did with his magic.

But the children and their families were also captivated by the new red clubhouse and adjoining slide Clayton had just built in a beautiful bit of creativity and ingenuity. It is so impressive, that I think it will be popular for many years to come, and could even serve as a "man cave," as Clayton plans, long after the kids are grown.

For me, the high point of the party was the time Anne and I had with our sons and their families, as I focused on each of them. As I've already discussed Clayton and his family and will discuss them again later in this piece, I'll discuss Kyle and Kevin.

Kyle arrived with Diane, Keoni and baby Ikaika. Kyle spoke of a wonderful potential real estate venture, one that would convert the long troubled Torrance Hotel, a major police problem because so many of its guests are drug addicted and steal to support their addictions, into an apartment building appealing to young people starting out and to senior citizens able to walk up a flight of stairs.

Subsequently, that venture did not happen, at least for now, because the developer who brought the Torrance Hotel to Kyle could not get the cooperation of his investors who preferred to run it as the flop house it is today.

Fortunately Kyle's many other real estate ventures are going well, some extremely well, as his and Jamie Rosenwald's latest real estate syndication was oversubscribed with investors as soon as it was available. This is based primarily upon Kyle's outstanding investment track record over the 16 years he has been in business, as everyone of his investments have made money for investors.

Diane looked and sounded great, as she is happy being a mother again and she has taken off the weight she desired to lose. Good energy. 12 year old Keoni is a happy, good natured boy and he brings his warmth with him everywhere he goes.

Ikaika, nearly three months old is built like a tiny moose at about 13 pounds, with great big cheeks and a husky body. Despite all the noise, he slept through the entire party in his baby carrier, with Anne watching over him like a friendly but determined momma pit bull, never leaving his side.

Kevin and Melody, 7 year old Brody and 5 year old Gannon arrived with real fanfare. Melody is such a warm, outgoing personality, it is easy to be aware of her joyous presence. While Brody and Gannon were excited about the party, the clubhouse, the slide and the chance to run and play. Those little boys are growing up so quickly and I could easily see the physical difference in them.

As a police officer, Kevin brings a watchful eye to parties, always looking out for the well-being and safety of the children and an awareness of the parents, and potential safety hazards as he did this time.

Kevin and I discussed his police work, the large number of new deputies he is training, weapons control, securing the Twin Tower jail with fewer personnel, the brief return of his former Sergeant, who is a very capable individual, retirement of the top ranking official under the Chief, and the new head of the Los Angeles County jail system.

Kevin has a tremendous passion for his work and is determined to do an outstanding job. It troubles him when some other people don't share his passion and don't set a high standard for their work, in some cases even shunning responsibility.

But it was a lovely conversation with Kevin, who like Anne and me, along with his family were some of the last people to leave this joyous celebration of Carina's 5th birthday.

The next night, Anne and I hosted Carina at Ruby's Cafe, and her big brother Cameron, age 7 and their parents, Clayton and Maria. When they arrived, we had a chocolate milk awaiting Carina (chocolate milk is her favorite beverage) and a chocolate shake awaiting Cameron.

But Cameron had gotten in trouble at school (the 2nd grade) because he had given his best friend Valentin the finger, and Valentin told on him. As a result, Cameron lost the use of his video games for two weeks and was supposed to do without dessert but Clayton allowed him to have the chocolate shake we had ordered.

Cameron and Carina are adorable and we have so much fun with them and with their parents. And Carina's birthday party was a wonderful and memorable celebration, to me a wonderful celebration of life.

Dick