Sometimes, it’s hard not to read your horoscope and say, oh yeah, that is so me.  Then there are other days when all your “traits” as dictated by some magazine do not fit at all.  Well, having children is a lot like that. 

Joel and I will watch Nicholas and Dexter and inevitably, start saying “yep – he gets that from me.  Oh, that is so you.”  I’d really like to give you a match the baby trait with the parent trait but I think the logistics of writing that would be a bit hard.  So, I’ll let you off easy this time.  Here are some of the boys’ traits that we claim to be our own.

Nicholas is all about being in control.  Hmmm, sound maybe a bit like me?  He will only play rough and tumble when he wants to.  He does not like being interrupted when he’s focused on a specific task and will let you know to leave him alone.  When he is overly hungry or tired, he melts down quickly and much to Joel’s disgust, Nicholas is a true carnivore.  We both love the water and don’t mind getting dirty.  These are all traits that my beautiful boy and I share.  However, he gets his red-headed feistyness from his dad and like his father, Nicholas will quickly figure out how something works.   

Then there is Dexter, who is quite like his father.   Dexter does not know when he is hungry and will forget all about food if something else is going on.  He can’t sit still.  Dexter jumps from task to task but when he finds something he likes, he becomes laser focused.  Needing to be in control is not something Dexter craves.  In fact, he loves it when Joel plays rough with him.  Dexter is not a fan of meat and absolutely loves black beans.  In marrying Joel, I’ve had to introduce beans into my diet but I can say I love for non green beans is on par with Joel’s love of meat.   Dexter is wicked smart when it comes to electronics and almost ordered us another On-Demand movie the other day.  He also gets overwhelmed when there’s too much going on around him, and doesn’t like to get dirty or wet.  One of the few traits I share with my amazing Dexter is our ability to be totally silly, to have a much more even-keeled temper, and to zone out in front of the TV. 

As for the traits Joel and I won’t claim as our own, sticking sippy cups up the nose is on the top of the list followed by putting bins/tubs over their heads and walking into things, or eating vegemite.  Where they get this stuff, I don’t know.