Princess Lizzy

5 February, 14

Today is Elizabeth's 15th birthday. If we were in America right now, she would be taking driver's ed classes. God has a way of intervening on behalf of humanity, when He sees they are in trouble. A world with Elizabeth Askins on the roads is a world that needs saving.

From the start, Elizabeth was unique. She entered the world unconventionally and a month ahead of schedule, weighing in a 5 pounds, our little bag of sugar. As a newborn, she pretty much maintained a tight fetal ball until she was one month old, almost as if her preemie body knew it was finally okay to relax. We would wrap her up in a blanket papoose as tight as we could, and she would flash this angelic smile at us, in recognition of our efforts. That same smile captiv

ates us to this day. Last night Elizabeth wore her new head-to-toe mouse pajamas, still loving to snuggle.

At the tender age of 2, Elizabeth encountered Honey in their first real interaction. Honey is Susan's sister, Jennifer. Elizabeth could not pronounce her name. It came out Honey, and since Elizabeth was the first Kjellgren grandchild, she got naming rights. Honey was, and is, a diva. I mean that in the absolute best sense of the word. Jennifer wants the best of everything-clothes, jewelry, experiences. And makeup.

One day, Honey sat down with Elizabeth in the bathroom and told her to lay her hands flat on the floor. She then painted all of Elizabeth's tiny little nails. Although we cannot prove anything, we are quite certain that Honey either cast a spell or placed Elizabeth under some prolonged hypnotic trance. After that fateful day, Elizabeth was never the same. We bear witness to the christening of Lizzy Zimbabwe.

At three years old, while attending Sandhills Alliance Developmental Preschool, Elizabeth noticed one of the teachers walking down the hall. It was not one of her teachers, mind you. She exclaimed with joy at having found a kindred spirit: "You changed your nail polish!"

Since birth, we have purchased about five outfits for Elizabeth, the rest of her extensive wardrobe being amply supplied by Bema, the yin of Honey's yang. Susan's mother, Joyce, is a professional shopper. Macy's and Bloomingdales send her a personal car for outings. Old Navy has a "Bema Bin", dedicated in honor of their most prolific customer. After 18 years of marriage, I have not purchased one pair of underwear. Before moving to Spain, I gave away half of them, hoping a six month supply would be adequate.

Bema kept Elizabeth, and all of us, in good fashion trim. As our daughters grew out of clothes, Susan would assemble big plastic totes, labelled by month (0-3, 3-6, etc.), to give to friends, some clothes still with tags. As their kids grew out of them, they would return the clothes, and Susan would give them to some other family. Each Old Navy heart-print jersey dress with a ruffled bottom would wend it's way through our circle of lucky little girls. On any given Sunday, we might see four or five outfits scattered throughout the church. Play dates became a Mother's Collective to glean smocks and socks.

We reserved the makeup for daily use until she turned 13, but she got some regular doses as a child dancer and during playtime. Honey was the star of Elizabeth's fourth birthday party, an event that girls and parents still discuss with a mixture of awe and envy. We converted our basement into an extreme makeover salon. All the girls moved from one station to another, as they received makeup, fingernail polish, hair styles and even fancy clothes for dress-up. Honey applied the makeup. Even I got snookered into it. I was painted up liked a Vegas showgirl.

Elizabeth has never known a world without fashion or style or beauty. She cannot conceive of the notion of simplicity. The very word is lost on her. We take responsibility for that, but we also plead understanding and empathy.

Today, Elizabeth is 15 and feeling so mature. I am incredibly proud of her. She speaks Spanish fairly well and understands even better. It gives her great pleasure to correct my Spanish errors, for which she has myriad opportunities. She is learning how to navigate the complicated and dangerous waters of teen girls, who change allegiances faster than Dale Earnhardt changed lanes at Daytona. She is an "O Negative" friend, which means Elizabeth has the unique ability to be anybody's friend, a universal donor. She does not make heavy demands on her friends. They are free to go and come, enter and exit, without restrictions or recriminations. She makes no alliances against anyone. As a 15 year old, this trait comes in handy. Elizabeth is like Switzerland, a friend to all, an enemy to none. Sometimes, however, that makes her the perfect place for a turf war, as competing factions fight for territory and teenage supremacy.

Elizabeth continues to grow and develop as a person. We have absolutely no idea where she will end up, but I think she inherited the part of my nature that always makes things work out for the best. If we can just add a little dose of the Kjellgren common sense, Elizabeth will be unstoppable.

We love you Lizzy Zimbabwe.