Happy Birthday, Lizard Breath!

Today is my brilliant and beautiful Cousin Elizabeth's 13th birthday. Could you guys hear the big sigh my mom just let out? Anyway, my Aunt La La put up a beautiful post in honor of Elizabeth's special day, but my mom has a few memories of her own to share:

* When Elizabeth was about two, she dropped a cup of yogurt on the floor. My mom said "uh-oh!" but Elizabeth said "Oh Sit!" (I don't get the joke, but my mom insists it's funny.)

* Not so much a memory as a cute fact...Elizabeth has blonde eyelashes on one eye, but brown eyelashes on the other. Isn't that cool?

* When Elizabeth was about as little as I am, my mom would tease her and say, "What's your name again? Eliza-foot? Eliza-toe? Eliza-head?" Elizabeth would crack up. Mom says she had a great laugh.

* Before Elizabeth lost her baby teeth, when she closed her jaw, her top and bottom teeth formed a space that looked like the batman symbol.

* Even though Elizabeth was two when my mom and dad met, she refused to be in the same room with Daddy until she was about five years old. She was terrified of him. To this day she can't explain why. Once she did finally meet him, she loved him. I think it had something to do with spending the afternoon together, jumping on a trampoline and eating chocolate ice cream.

* When Elizabeth would stay with Granny for the weekend, she used to take a photo that Granny has of her mom and dad dancing at their wedding, and go sit in a corner, just staring at it and working herself up into tears.

* After my Great Grandmother Deeya died, when Elizabeth was probably around three, Aunt La La picked her up from school one day and was told by Liz's teacher that she had been sad all day. As they were driving home, Aunt La La asked Liz what was wrong and Liz said, "I miss Deeya." La La said, "Honey, I know you miss her, but she is in a much better place now--where she is happy, healthy and can walk again." Elizabeth sniffed and said, "I know. She's in China."

* When Elizabeth was about two or three, my mom, Aunt La La and Granny took her out to eat at a restaurant. They ran into a friend of Granny's who asked Elizabeth what she wanted to be when she grew up. Being the supportive, feminists that they are, Granny, Aunt La La and Mom all reminded Elizabeth that she could be anything she wanted to be. So Elizabeth thought about it for a minute, then said, "I want to be a bunny!"

* One of my mom's favorite memories (not just of Elizabeth, but in her whole life) is of sitting in a big lazy boy recliner with Elizabeth when she was just a little older than I am. They were sitting side by side, eating fudgesicles and watching TV when Elizabeth reached over, touched my mom's arm and said "Aunt Bally? I dove you."

We dove you too, Lizard Breath. More than you will ever know. Happy Birthday!