March 18, 2008

The Big 1-0

Today is the eldest Llama-ette's tenth birthday. Hard to believe.

Those people who believe that who we are is a function of nurture rather than nature can go spit up a rope, because this gel is a stone ringer for her late grandfather, who also happened to share her birthday. Family lore says that my great-grandfather married a completely insane Scotswoman, and that her craziness - known as the "McDill Taint" - has manifested itself in various ways in the generation since. Fortunately, I got my personality from my mother's side. Dad got the Taint in spades. So, I'm afraid, did the gel.

Where the nurture comes in to the equation is in the strenuous efforts of all of us around her to rein in all the more obnoxious characteristics she inherited from the old gentleman. Whether we'll manage remains, of course, to be seen. Mom remarked last evening that if anybody could do it, it would be me. Bit of a slim reed, I would say. Nonetheless, the fact of the matter is that the gel is devoted to me, so perhaps the constant series of lectures I feel I've been forced to give lately about effort, honest self-examination and sympathy for others is somehow slowly permeating into the concrete. We can but try, after all.

Posted by Robert at March 18, 2008 08:35 AM | TrackBack
Comments

Sounds like a normal kid to me.

Happy Birthday Llama child!!

Posted by: GroovyVic at March 18, 2008 09:28 AM

I'm reminded of Florence King's "Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady," where she describes how Southerners argue about whether nervous breakdowns were more feminine than "female trouble," or vice versa. "These two afflictions are the sine qua non of female identity and the Southern Woman is not happy unless her family history manifests one or the other."
"Evelyn's mind is going, I can see all the signs. It's the Cunningham taint."
Hi-larious book.

Posted by: Monica at March 18, 2008 09:33 AM

Happy birthday to the Llama girl!

I have to think that every family has a taint of one kind of another - all you can do is hope that your manifestation is less than the generation previous.

Posted by: beth at March 18, 2008 09:49 AM

As someone who has watched her grow up from the beginning, I am happy to note that the taint does not manifest itself all that often, but then again the teenage hormones are not yet in full swing : )
After all, according to her I do need lasik !!!!
Give her big hugs and kisses from Uncle LMC and myself, the Future ROTC scholarship winner and Our LIttle Debutante

Posted by: Mrs. LMC at March 18, 2008 01:32 PM

Happy Birthday Llama-ette #1!

Posted by: Kathy at March 18, 2008 04:54 PM

At lunch on Monday she asked me why my hair had turned all gray, why hadn't i won the teaching award and whether my lemonade was actually alcohol...

Posted by: Steve-O at March 19, 2008 09:14 AM

And just think, her teen years are just around the corner. BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

:-)

Posted by: stillers at March 21, 2008 05:43 AM

Hmmm.... My first girlfriend's last name was McDill...

Explains a lot.

Posted by: Boy Named Sous at March 22, 2008 02:28 PM