We watched a lot of The Cosby Show growing up and so many episodes are memorable. One line that appeared repeatedly and is still funny to me was “That is YOUR child!” Spoken by either Bill Cosby of Phylicia Rashad to the other, it was their way of declaring that whatever the child had done/said/worn at that particular moment was certainly a reflection of the OTHER parent, not themselves. Andy and I do this all the time. Even though we are both fairly outgoing, talkative people, there are certainly some major personality differences between us.
As both girls grow older and more expressive we see these behaviors coming to life. Sometimes we stand back and gasp, wondering just how often that little girl has watched mommy walk around and talk on the phone whilst wiping counters and straightening the room. Or, is it all in the DNA? It’s the old nature versus nurture debate. How many of our traits would they show automatically and how often are they putting into action what they’ve observed? For example, I don’t believe Hannah has ever seen Andy lose his temper but boy, she inherited the ability to really throw a fit! At less than a year old there is already no doubt when Hannah doesn’t want to do something. That back is arched and she screams, kicks, swings her hands, etc. I usually give Andy a coy smile as if to say “That is YOUR child!” He knows it’s true so he just shrugs and takes the mad baby to let her finish throwing her fit. Both girls have been very sensitive from day one and I have to admit responsibility for this one. How many times did Dad insist that “You girls are just too sensitive!” to Gracie and I when we were growing up?
Abigail is already a big fan of the outdoors, like both of us. Just this morning she asked me if we could plant the flowers outside yet. Hannah, despite her temper, seems to be growing into an outspoken and friendly little person. Guess we can’t deny that she’s ours! And so far, most people agree that Abigail looks like Andy and Hannah looks like me, so we’re even in that regard. There are traits that seem to be solely theirs, Abigails timid and softspoken nature didn’t come from either of us. But, as Mom would say, that’s just part of what makes each of them their ‘own little person.’ We love them so much, and watching them grow and change is all part of the fun!
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3 comments:
I just realized that this is our 100th post, hard to believe! We hope our blog is enjoyed by family and friends, I think it will make a great keepsake for our kids.
Looks like Polk needs to make more chip off the old block shirts. And as BB always said, their recorder's always running, so watch what you say, do.
Yea for the 100th post!!! And, in less than a year (barely)!
We have the "your child" saying going on here a lot too, but sometimes it goes back a generation or so (as in Benjamin's pleasure in stacking all items after a meal--thanks BB!) And then, there's also the "inherited from the aunt" traits like Clara's imagination and vocabulary from Aunt Ruthie and Abby's soft spoken nature and feelings that can sometimes be easily injured (like me). Hopefully in the end they'll come out with more of the good than the bad! (We're rooting for you, Hannah! :)
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