Whose Child Is This?
Isn't it funny the attributes you pass on to your children? This weekend I've realized a few things the girls have inherited from us. It's hard to tell if they are learned attributes or if they are things genetics naturally pass along.
1. I hate change. Ask my family. I don't move furniture around. I don't redecorate on a large scale until I've thought it over VERY seriously for quite some time. I don't even move the toothbrush holder on the bathroom counter. And now I can safely say that Gracey has picked up my penchant for "sameness". We put some new bookcases in the office yesterday. But to do so, we had to move other shelving in the room. Gracey walked in and said, "Why did you move those? Do you have to change them??" haha! So me.
2. Kerry and I both have an "eye" for where things belong. If we put something in a spot that looks funny, inevitably we'll both want to move it. Kerry has an artistic eye, of course. I don't know how I do it because I don't feel very artistic. But Sadie does it too. Those same shelves that we moved to a different wall? Sadie walked into the room and said, "Oh! I like these here. They belong there. This wall looked funny without them." She was right!
3. No need to repeat myself about the love of reading. But Sadie got that from me too. She LOVES to read - and she loves stories. But Gracey doesn't. She'll read a really good book - but she won't just pick up any book and start reading like Sadie and I do.
4. Gracey is very sensitive. She feels deeply but doesn't always let her feelings be known. Just like her daddy! Sadie and I will make sure you know where you stand with us at all times. And if we don't say it, then you can certainly read it on our faces! Gracey may resemble me (only a blond version) - but she's definitely a lot like Kerry.
5. Put Sadie in a kitchen or a garden, and she's happy as a little clam. Just like me. She loves to work on projects - and she loves people. She looks like her daddy but she acts so much like me in so many ways.
What have you passed on to your children? Anything surprise you? I always stand amazed at how these sweet little beings can be so much like us and still be so independent and different too!
(I bet you are wondering about Billy, aren't you? Well....he's a whole other story since he doesn't share any official DNA. But suffice it to say that he is definitely his mama's child! He loves people, makes friends easily, and could probably read my mind! And yet he's the non reader who also cares deeply just like his dad.... And I SWEAR he's a Godwin because he loves to joke around!)
1. I hate change. Ask my family. I don't move furniture around. I don't redecorate on a large scale until I've thought it over VERY seriously for quite some time. I don't even move the toothbrush holder on the bathroom counter. And now I can safely say that Gracey has picked up my penchant for "sameness". We put some new bookcases in the office yesterday. But to do so, we had to move other shelving in the room. Gracey walked in and said, "Why did you move those? Do you have to change them??" haha! So me.
2. Kerry and I both have an "eye" for where things belong. If we put something in a spot that looks funny, inevitably we'll both want to move it. Kerry has an artistic eye, of course. I don't know how I do it because I don't feel very artistic. But Sadie does it too. Those same shelves that we moved to a different wall? Sadie walked into the room and said, "Oh! I like these here. They belong there. This wall looked funny without them." She was right!
3. No need to repeat myself about the love of reading. But Sadie got that from me too. She LOVES to read - and she loves stories. But Gracey doesn't. She'll read a really good book - but she won't just pick up any book and start reading like Sadie and I do.
4. Gracey is very sensitive. She feels deeply but doesn't always let her feelings be known. Just like her daddy! Sadie and I will make sure you know where you stand with us at all times. And if we don't say it, then you can certainly read it on our faces! Gracey may resemble me (only a blond version) - but she's definitely a lot like Kerry.
5. Put Sadie in a kitchen or a garden, and she's happy as a little clam. Just like me. She loves to work on projects - and she loves people. She looks like her daddy but she acts so much like me in so many ways.
What have you passed on to your children? Anything surprise you? I always stand amazed at how these sweet little beings can be so much like us and still be so independent and different too!
(I bet you are wondering about Billy, aren't you? Well....he's a whole other story since he doesn't share any official DNA. But suffice it to say that he is definitely his mama's child! He loves people, makes friends easily, and could probably read my mind! And yet he's the non reader who also cares deeply just like his dad.... And I SWEAR he's a Godwin because he loves to joke around!)
Interesting post. I daily notice how much of "us" are in our kids.
ReplyDeleteLet's begin with the eldest, Ana. Like her father, being the oldest child, she is a natural leader. She enjoys teaching her little brother how to do things (math, ABC's and other tricks). She is also all about justice and honesty. She wouldn't let me lie to the people at IKEA to get her friend into the Play Land under the age requirement. She follows the rules, needs to be prepared, and has an amazing sense of concentration. Every year we hear from her teachers how she continues to work and stays focused even when all the kids are making noise. She gets that from her father.
How is Ana like me? There are just a few things where her and I are similar. We both love to dance and have the rhythm to do so. Her father, well....he dances like a white boy! haha Ana enjoys all the girlie stuff like make-up, playing with her hair, and going clothes shopping. (Ask her to go grocery shopping, and she'd rather go to the dentist! This is where she is JUST like her father).
Max, our youngest, is the one I can identify with the most. Since I am the "baby" of my family, I know what it's like to do things last and to have to wait to do things when you're older. Max is a clown, always making us laugh and being silly. I think that's an attribute of being the youngest, the need for attention, because I know I've always been like that, too. Max isn't shy, makes friends rather quickly and likes to talk to everyone. Ana, on the other hand, needs time to warm up to people and sits back and observes the situation (just like her papa). Max has to look "cool", needs his hair to be just right and his clothes need to be "cool". I'll admit I'm vain, and if my hair is happy, I'm happy. His father, on the other hand, could care less about hair and that's why he shaves his off every week.
The one area where Max is a lot like Jeroen is that when they aren't feeling well they just want to be left alone. They need to go to their cave and recouperate. Ana, like me, needs lots of affection and attention when she's feeling low.
To summarize, I'd say that Ana looks like me physically, but has her father's personality. And Max looks just like his papa but has a lot of similar traits of me. It's fun to recognize yourself in your children. Sometimes it makes it easier to understand them....and sometimes it can also be annoying! haha
Ever heard the terms "mama's boy" or "daddy's girl?" does that extend to traits as well? Physically, we call Lauren momma's little clone baby. However, Lauren has a lot of my personality. A little OCD, quiet,serious, and very self efficient. However, she gets some great traits from her mom. Lauren is very loving, generous with her time, and full of life. She is very empathetic and always is ready to volunteer.
ReplyDeleteElijah is my clone baby, but he is very much like his mom in attitude. He makes friends at the drop of a hat and is so spontaneous, it is scary. He is fun loving and enjoys joking around. Many times I think "he needs to study more" or "he needs to take --- (whatever) --- more seriously" but then I remind myself that he is not me and he needs to live life his way not mine. He is smart and can make intuitive leaps to get answers -- just like his mom. I have to follow instructions and blueprints while Elijah and his mom are in the clouds. Elijah loves life for simply being and needs no justification. He doesnt need approval from anyone and is happy being himself.
So our kids have a good mix from us both, yet Elijah favors his moms personality and Lauren favors mine. Pretty neat huh?