Mini Me

Shortly after becoming a mother I realized that my child was imitating me. Believe it or not this was a real moment for me: "Oh no, she's imitating ME". Duh right? I realized that whatever behaviors I modeled, would become the behaviors of my daughter. She is a walking reflection of myself. I purposely only have one mirror in my house because I don't want to be distracted by my reflection. Sometimes this gets me in to trouble because I will have articles of clothing on that I don't necessary realize or remember putting there, and am slightly embarrassed to find that I might have gone out in public like that. The other day it was reindeer antlers (Thanks Pukey)...luckily I discovered them before exiting the premises.

The little mirror following me around has taught me about my strengths and weaknesse. Here is a list of what I am proud of and what I'm not.

Behaviors that Pukey does that I am ok with:
1.Two hands on the keyboard, "typing" in a rhythm with all fingers moving. To me this shows that I am educated in typing.

2.Treating strangers with respect: Especially when she buys a hotdog at the stand, she always says thank you.

3.Singing. It is like an improvisational musical in my home from dawn to dusk. She has heard and seen me sing and she is a talented little bug.

4.Hugging. I am not a big hugger, but I do love my friends, and Pukey always shows excitement when she sees her friends in a social setting, and usually this involves a lot of hand holding and hugging.

5.She is a really great big sister. She is always trying to protect her sister from harm and take care of her.

6. Jokes. She tells a lot of them...she thinks they're funny and apparently so do many other 4-year-olds. I think she has picked up on my sense of humor. The only one that she invented: What does art start with? person responds: A? she responds: No, a pirate, ARGH!

7. Saying "I'm sorry". I think I have to credit this to my husband, he taught me how to say "I'm sorry" too. I don't think I had ever uttered it before I met him. (Dysfunctional family issues....)

And now for the behaviors that I want to change for both of us:
1.Tone. Yes I speak with a tone sometimes, and she has been quick to pick up on that, especially when she is frustrated or upset.

2.Hitting. This was more of a problem when she was around 2. I don't hit THAT much anymore, but I would say well into my teens I HIT. This unfortunately might be a genetic inheritance for her.

3.Short prayers. I think I set a bad example of praying, especially when I am hungry and about to have the chance to eat.

4.Chocolate Consumption. We are both addicts. Again, the line is blurred here between nature vs. nurture. I don't remember the moment I introduced her to chocolate milk, but I certainly regret it.

5.Saying: "STOP!" Happy Nanny was babysitting once and told me how Pukey would say: "STOP" a lot. She seemed to really disapprove of this and wondered where it came from. I said: "Well, she says it because I say it to her!"

6.Moody. I have been told by several of my friends that Pukey is moody. I don't really notice it, but maybe that's because I am moody too. Am I moody guys?

7.Potty humor. We both love making fart sounds. But hers translates to the real thing. Sometimes in the middle of primary she will let one fly and laugh at herself. I guess that is better than being embarrassed about it or blaming someone else. And we both recently taught the baby how to make a fake burp sound, and all three of us think it's hilarious every time.