Panera Bread and Barbie Doll Karaoke

My niece Erin turned nine the early part of September. Nine! Nine. I am slowly coming to the realization, so if I have to interject nine every so often, it is only because I need to let reality sink in. I remember like it was yesterday, getting the call at Messiah that she had been born. I came home that weekend and held her and fell in love with her. Now she is into Hannah Montana, gibits for crocks, fashion, attitude, and hilarity. This girl is funniest when she is not even trying. Anyway, I told her I wanted to take her out for lunch. She said she was thinking Friendly's. I had to laugh at her phrase, "I'm thinking". So, Saturday came, I'm gearing myself up for Friendly's, not a big fan of the food. I've been there a few times and it just seems greasy to me. A bunch of fried food chased down with a sundae, yummm. So, I get there and much to my surprise and delight she has changed her mind and would like to go to Panera. I love Panera. She already knows what she is getting too, broccoli cheddar soup in a bread bowl. This girl cracks me up. She has been eating soup and salad since she was three or four. My brother hadn't had a bowl of soup to himself from the time that girl was old enough to have it. We order and then when asked what she wants to drink, she says "Root beer, it's Saturday, it's a root beer day." A girl after my own heart. So, she is sitting at the table, eating her soup and talking about many things. At one point I told her I didn't get the Disney channel anymore and she couldn't watch Hanna Montana at my apartment. She said, "Do you still get American Idol?", I said yes, she says, "Then we're good." What twenty year old has possessed the body of my niece? She is a complex mixture of maturity and lack of coordination. She spilled soda down the front of her shirt, again, my soul sister. I can only hope she grows out of her clumsiness. I am stricken for life. She remarks on the size of the cookies they sell at Panera, and when I ask if she would like one, she declines. She's so healthy. On the way to the restaurant, she had remarked about the thrift store she refers to as Miss Angie's. So, we go in and look for a suitable toy, outfit, whatever. We walk in, I pick up some skirts, some shirts, she feels the fabric and gives it a veto. She looks at the toys on the top shelf and has trouble seeing, so I pick her up. I laugh to myself because though she is nine, I cherish the fact I can still pick her up. She asks if I will still pick her up when she is 15. I say, I don't think so. So, she spies a barbie song machine. Being the wonderful Aunt I am, I buy it for her. In the car she looks for batteries, it has none. She is not worried, they have some at home. So, she sits and takes the headset and puts it on. I turn on the radio. We start singing. We didn't know any of the songs and there was a Patsy Cline CD in the player so I turned it on. I ask to use the little microphone that also came with the barbie machine. So, here we are driving down the road, singing along to Patsy. Erin has a headset and I have a pink little microphone. I got quite a few looks that day as I passed people and made some turns. The best look though was from Erin. She was having a grand old time. She was having fun, and I could tell she was glad I was joining in the fun too, not caring who saw me. That is one of those moments I will remember for a lifetime. Nothing huge or monumental, just a late summer Saturday afternoon with my niece, singing in the car, using play microphones, and being the rock stars that we are.