After much swing-pushing, me and my colossal baby bump got tired of standing so I suggested that the Lizard Princess and her little guy in waiting head over to the lizard land (the gazebo) because I had a feeling that the lizards were finally out and about due to the unusually warm weather. Cora had been crushed when they went into "hibernation" and it had been months since we had seen any around so it didn't surprise me at all when it took her less than one minute to catch a small brown one.
So something about Cora despite her love of mud and bugs and amphibians and dinosaurs is that she is incredibly maternal which is one of many reasons why I think she and Allen are so close and why all of us are so lucky to have her. I can't even imagine how sweet and wonderful and helpful she will be with #3, especially if she is half as nurturing to her little sister as she is to her lizard subjects. She she proceeded to pet the little lizard and then held it to her cheek, closing her eyes and savoring the long lost reunion between her and her amphibian subject.
Suddenly she started to scream in a shrill manner and I saw that the lizard was dangling off of her bottom lip. As in many situations in this adventure of motherhood, I didn't know whether to laugh, panic or throw up. I followed by instinct and yanked the baby lizard off of her lip. (btw I never in my wildest dreams thought I would write that phrase, I'll say it again- "yanked the baby lizard off of her lip.")
The poor Lizard Princess was in a pathetic state, relieved to be free of the lizard, which somehow had ended up in her hand. She was crying softly and looked so shocked and confused about what happened so I did what I often do and tried my best to make her laugh.
"Cora, you know this really reminds me of that book we just read about Tiana and her frog prince. I think that Lizard is a prince and since you kissed him you seem to be turning brown and I see a tail sprouting out of your bum. Should I make you some bugs and leaves for dinner?"
She laughed and cried at the same time, as she often does and was quiet for a minute.
"Mama I think I am ready to be something else for a while." Cora placed the Lizard Prince on a shrub.
"How about I'll be the Lady Bug Queen, from now on? Okay mommy?"
"OK Queen Lady Bug".
My heart did sink a little as I wondered if that was the last time I would ever see the Lizard Princess in action.
That is one of the toughest things about motherhood. You never know the last time a child does something... calls her baby brother "Addy", sleeps in the closet, asks me to set a place for Jonathan, her imaginary husband at the table, or wants me to sing her Edelwiess before bed, the song that my dad always sang to me when he tucked me in. So I try to savor this sweet, funny, weird, chaotic season of life we find ourselves in.
Though it won't be the same or quite as much fun without My Lizard Princess.
Stay tuned for the adventures of her Majesty the Lady Bug Queen Cora Therese Thakkar.
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| Cora holding court at Allen's birthday. Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most regal of them all? CORA!! |
