Finding glimpses of the past in our kids

Many of the great things about having kids, aside from being sent to the front of the line at airport security, are those 'first” things. First steps. First words. First eye roll. First door slam.

But then there are those welcome glimpses backward.

I lost my mom six years ago this month. But pieces of her strong personality clearly live on in my daughter, Ella. Her older sister, Tess, is more like my father and I, with a dry, sharp, snarky sense of humor and worldview probably a few clicks too cynical. But Ella is more like my mom - earnest, anxious and generous.

Among the most endearing and, frankly, entertaining ways she reminds us of Grandma Lee is her penchant for mispronunciation, miscommunication and misinterpretation.

A few years ago, Ella declared at a restaurant she desired a Shirley Temple and would order it herself. When the waiter came, she loudly and confidently demanded a 'Charlie Niblett.” Where Charlie came from remains a mystery. Not even Ella knows.

Years ago, at a restaurant, my mother informed the waitress she desired a 'zippy.” Fortunately, I spoke fluent mom, and was able to ask our server for a 'Zima,” a fizzy drink that had just hit the market.

As a new college student fresh off an Iowa farm in 1950, mom thought lesbians were inhabitants of Lisbon, Portugal.

As a kindergartner, Ella informed her class that our ethnic heritage is 'Kwanzaa.” 'My mom is Kwanzaa and my grandma, too,” she proudly proclaimed. Long story, involving a book about holidays, a short attention span and an email from her teacher.

Bikinis are zucchinis. Lava is llama. Chipotle is Japotle, which is like nails on a chalkboard for her teenage sister.

At last month's St. Patrick's Day parade, Ella loudly asked Tess why so many people were carrying Mexican flags. Those are Irish flags, (dear, sweet sister). I've edited the actual response.

Eye roll, No. 10,000.

Ella recently brought up the final episode of 'Downton Abbey,” specifically the part where a character was suffering from 'delicious arriba.” That's pernicious anemia. And the PBS documentary that aired a while back on tuberculosis? It actually focused on 'tooluckybosis.” Sounds less serious.

It's not all on my bloodline, mind you. On her mother's side, Ella received an extra strength dose of getting song lyrics hilariously wrong.

Katherine once thought, when Warren Zevon was singing 'Werewolves of London,” he was really singing 'Where, where's the thunder?” Snort. Her mother once openly sang 'Flies in the Vaseline,” as the Eagles performed 'Life in the Fast Lane.”

So when Ella's favorite Katy Perry song says, 'You're hot then you're cold. You're yes then you're no. You're in then you're out. You're up then you're down,” she sings 'A mouse in your clothes, gets into your nose, it's freaking you out.” I bet it would.

In 'Funkytown,” you don't talk about it, talk about it. 'Well, they chuckle party, chuckle party, chuckle party, chuckle party,” Ella insists. Who wouldn't go to a chuckle party in Funkytown?

We must always be gentle in reacting to these lovable foibles because, like my mom, Ella does not enjoy being mistaken. In fact, as I write, I wonder if, somewhere, my mom is not amused. I sure wish she'd call and give me an earful.

l Comments: (319) 398-8452; todd.dorman@thegazette.com