"you're horrible"

Being a Mom is an interesting thing. It's amazing and beautiful and I love my girl. The interesting comes in when you realize that this person looks at you like a grown-up. Enough italics yet? Seriously that is some strangeness going on there. When I met Eliza I was 23 and she was 4. I don't think the mom part sunk in for almost a year. Probably when she started calling me "Mom" on accident once in a while. Or, maybe earlier, when holding bowls for puking under her chin and washing her hair and little body in the tub. I felt a huge paradigm shift was when I was going to help with reading time in her 1st grade classroom and she assured me that her teacher and the students would think I was a "nice lady." LADY!! I actually took the time to explain to her that I am not a lady. She asked me what I was then and I told her I am a girl. She explained to me that I am not a girl. I had to concede there. I guess I am not a girl any more.

It is also quite fascinating to see your little girl become like you. When she was 4 she started saying "actually" and "although." Surprisingly, in the correct context or at least close enough. I was wondering where she got such words when I heard myself over-using them. She would say things such as, "I need a snack; although, I am not that hungry. Actually, I just need a treat." She started rolling her eyes dramatically around 5. Ask Joe where she got that. Once I asked her, "Can you roll them any bigger?" She replied "yes," while rolling her entire head along with her big rolling eyes. Most recently she said to my Mom, "You're Horrible!" This was accompanied with an impressive eye roll and sarcastic tone, after my mother said something she found to be way too silly. Since then I have heard her use this phrase on numerous occasions, always riddled with sarcasm. I wondered, of course, where she picked up such theatrical and sarcastic responses and suddenly became aware of how often I respond with "that's horrible!," or "you're horrible!" to ridiculous stories or situations. Like mother like daughter.

[picture was taken a couple of days before the wedding with my sister Dyan. I believe she also gained her love of margaritas from me.]