Exhibit A: Wearing a construction paper birthday crown, Girl asks to sit in the big chair at the head of the table at supper.

“You mean in Dad’s chair?” I ask.

“Yes. It is my birthday, you know,” she says.

I think about it for a split second, then realize what that chair represents to a 6-year-old. Raw power.

“Nope,” I say. “That’s not the way we roll. Go sit in your own chair, please.”

Exhibit B: The unthinkable has happened. Girl was on blue, a less than perfect conduct grade. I heard about this second hand — she’s not talking about it — but allegedly, the teacher did not pass out some papers that Girl insisted needed to be passed out. The teacher must have reminded Girl that she was, in fact, not in charge of the classroom. To which Girl burst into tears and earned herself a blue grade for the day.

Exhibit C: A flyer comes home in Girl’s backpack advertising classes for cheerleading and karate. She informs Bob that she wants to take karate because she’s already done cheerleading. HI-YAH!

Where did this child come from?? Her light brown hair is the result of my dark brown and Bob’s formerly reddish-brown hair. Her eyes are a blend of my chocolate brown and Bob’s sky blue. But her personality — Good Lord! Where did this fierceness come from? It’s like the genes of all the angry Scotsmen and the genes of all the crazy Sicilians have been crammed into one small package. No wonder she explodes at the slightest provocation.

Of course, it could be more than genetics. She’s an Aquarius. And if you Google Aquarius, here’s what you find: “Of all the signs in the zodiac, Aquarians have perhaps the biggest ego of all. Their interest in intellectual pursuits and their unique viewpoints on life makes Aquarians think that they are the most special people on Earth. Coupled with their creativity, Aquarians can sometimes think that they are God’s gift to the universe.”

True. So true. She’s also God’s gift to me.