Like Father, Like Son

Wow--two posts in two days! A record for me! I don't want to forget this, though...

Now that Jack is getting older, we are seeing more and more of his personality shining through. Mostly, I see Jared. If you know my husband, you know how fastidious he is about nearly everything. He is clean, orderly, irons (yes, even Jack's clothing), and likes things in their place all of the time. It seems that we have bred a child with the same tendencies.

Jack is a cautious, watchful kid. He observes things before jumping in there and we see this in the ways he imitates us. He, is however, also a stickler for things being done properly and in the "right" order. For example, when I pick him up from daycare, if I stop and chat for a minute, he gets incredibly anxious until we open the door and he can see the car waiting. He knows I come, we get in the car and we go. Interrupt that flow and he doesn't like it so much.

Lately, he has been fetching his diapers and immediately following a diaper change, he will promptly bring his diaper to the trashcan, dispose of it, make sure the lid to the can is closed and then come back for his box of wipes, bring it to the bathroom, and gesture for help to put it back into the cabinet where we keep them (it's a high cabinet).

At mealtimes, after we put him in his highchair, he immediately, reaches for his bib and gives it to us to put on him. When he is done, he makes the sign for "all done" and we wipe him down. He takes off his bib and takes the paper towel and cleans his tray and wipes his mouth. It's pretty funny and he does it like clockwork.

He's very good about cleaning up his toys (not to say he doesn't make messes!) but he is pretty good about knowing where things go and putting them there.

His latest involves the potty. Lately, he has been gesturing to sit on the potty. He is nowhere near being ready for potty training (given the fact he can't say any words!) but we indulge it since I figure if he is showing interest, I should try to acclimate him. So, I put him on the potty where he sits for a moment, reaches for a square of toilet paper, does some approximation of wiping, puts it in the toilet, flushes, puts the toilet seat down (I may be one of the few women with a husband who is very good abou this!), and then gestures for me to hold him up to the sink so he can wash his hands. Mind you, this is all from watching. We haven't made any effort to teach him any of this!

He just cracks me up! I never realized how much some of these traits are just a part of who someone is! Of course, I will take a neat and tidy child any day but it does make me wonder what we are in for with #2...