As soon as I heard that baritone saxophone, I knew it had to be Lisa Simpson joining Bart, Marge, and Homer over at the neighborhood bench.  Lisa may only be eight years old, but she can play a mean sax!  She is also good on electric bass and piano.  In addition, she has played some trumpet, accordion, violin, tuba, french horn, and has a powerful singing voice. 

It’s Lisa’s love of jazz that makes her my favorite of the Simpsons, because it’s a passion we share; however, we have some values in common as well.  We definitely lean the same way politically (liberal), and she is a big believer in science.  Although I am not a vegetarian like Lisa (I love seafood), her ethical beliefs are quite admirable—especially for a second-grader!  Lisa is a member of PETA and is also big on women’s rights.  She is also concerned with world affairs; and, in the 1990’s, she had an “End Apartheid” poster in her bedroom.  Good on her!

Lisa is a lot more intelligent and innovative than I ever was in the second grade (or ever), though.  As matter of fact, she has a genius IQ and is a member of Mensa in her town of Springfield.  (Thankfully, she got her smarts from her grandmother rather than Homer!)  Between her intelligence and musical talent, she is quite the child prodigy!  After all, how many infants do you know that can change their own diapers and solve mathematical equations as an infant?

Another thing Lisa is really good at (and I am not) is foreign language.  That girl can speak Italian fluently, and she also knows a bit of French, German, and Spanish.

When it comes to her home life, Lisa has a difficult relationship with her dad and brother—something I could relate to when looking back on my childhood!  She fights with her older brother just like I did when I was her age.  Lisa and Bart really go at it!  Still, though, her very first word was, “Bart!”  (Interestingly, the third thing she ever said was, “David Hasselhoff.”)

Lisa is fashionable, usually wearing her a short, strapless red dress with a zigzag hem, matching red Mary-Jane shoes, and a white pearl necklace that was given to her by her mom, Marge.  (When I was in the second grade, I HATED wearing dresses, and was known to pair a checkered shirt with striped pants, when I dressed myself.)

These are a few of my favorite quotes by Lisa Simpson:

“Dad!  The Second Amendment is just a remnant from the Revolutionary day.  It has no meaning today.”  (Amen to that.)

“Don’t you think we ought to attack the roots of our social problems instead of jamming people into overcrowded prisons?”

“I just think it’s a fantasy.  If you believe in angels, why not sea monsters, unicorns, or leprechauns?”

This nearly completes The Simpsons family.  Will Bart and Lisa’s baby sister be next?  Stay tuned to see if Maggie crawls her way to the bench!