. . . and say with barely concealed distaste: “She’s just like you!”
Either my two year old really shares my genes, or my personality is really like a two year old’s.
(For context, the particular instance I was thinking of involved how little girl and I both have an irrational hate of wearing loose and slipping socks. Each of us will absentmindedly pull those blasted things off our feet and leave them on the floor, then go merrily about our respective business. But of course there’s so much more.
Well, yeah, except for the “barely concealed distaste” part.
MilliCal definitely has traits from both of us, but she’s got a lot of my facial features (except, apparently, my nose. Thank Og), but what’s really scary is that she’s inherited large chunks of my brain. I can tell what she’s going to think or how she’s going to respond to something, because it’s exactly the quirky way I would respond.
I’m not a parent, but I can assure you that my mother periodically complains that I think just like my father. (She makes the same complaint about my brother).
A silly example would be sitting around the dinner table, and she asks someone to pass her a chip, so someone hands her A potato chip. Mom really wanted the whole package passed, so she could eat several chips.
It’s amazing how much of our mannerisms and quirks kids pick up, isn’t it? My daughter (just turned 3) is very fond of saying, “I see”, when she “gets” something, or to indicate that she heard you and understands, but may or may not have any intention of complying. It’s just like me.
But what I find really weird is how much like my ex my son is - not physically, I was expecting that. But his interests (military history, weapons technology) and the way his mind works are just like his bio-dad’s – who he last interacted with on a regular basis at 2.5, and last saw, period, at 5 years old (after a two year absence). How on earth did he happen to come upon the same *interests *as a parent he doesn’t know - especially while being raised by two book worm nerdy semi-pacifists?
I’m adopted, and share a lot of interests with my biological family. I have a family history that goes back to grandparents so I have a lot of general information to compare with. Physically, I do not resemble either of my birthparents, but rather my paternal grandfather. Coming from a family of small people, I tower above everyone at a mere 5’7 and 160 lbs. My birthparents were 5’2 ,120, and 5’0, 100 lbs respectively. Everyone else was around this size except grandpa who was 5’7 and 190 lbs. I have his darker coloring and hair, (mum and dad were both light skinned and lighter haired). I also share his artistic talent, and interest in classic care restoration. I play guitar, which I get from my Grandmother on mom’s side. I sing, which I get from Dad, as well as my deep voice; (he was a baritone, I’m a basso profundo). I didn’t get much at all from mom directly, except certain minor physical features (none facial).
My husband and dad like to laugh at me because I’m so much like my mom. I’ll say something, and my dad will stage-whisper to my husband about how that’s just what my mom would do, and they chortle while I glare at them. (We sound alike and have a lot of the same interests. My sense of humor is more like my dad’s, though.)
Yes, my husband does do that. Our couch gets covered with kids’ books several times a day, and sometimes when I’m feeling exasperated about it he’ll grin and say “I wonder where she got that from?”
My girl is a tiny version of her dad. It’s pretty funny.
He’s not as fond of it of course, because currently many of the most obvious similarities are ones he doesn’t like to admit he has (random spazzes over nothing, tendancy to extreme grumpiness…) They even have the same “frustrated” facial expression.
I’m amazed at similarlities that I would have assumed are learned behaviors which apparent’y are not. My son has not lived in the same house with his father since he was two or the same state since he was five. He’s 10 now. There has always been a clear physical resemblance, but now that Junior is “growing up” I notice gestures and movements that are identical that I can’t believe were picked up on a two week visit over each summer. For instance if he’s counting off on his fingers he starts with his thumb. The only person I’ve ever known to do this is my ex. His brothers don’t and I always thought it was a behavior he cultivated to distinguish himself from them and others. But now our son does it.
I’m sorry to say that it seems that Junior has also inherited his sense of humor form Dad. It’s more, y’know, wocka-wocka and less, how shall I say it…funny.
