How Do You Like Them Apples?

It's so true that the apple doesn't fall far... This was made abundantly clear when I called a parent in to discuss his son's inappropriate behavior my first year out of graduate school. I had a long speech planned about how concerned I was about his son's lack of respect for authority figures. That day he had yelled, "F---- you!" to his teacher in front of 20 other students. The irony was that his father arrived wearing a mesh back hat depicting a large fist on the front and (you guessed it) the middle finger blatantly displayed for all to see. Charming.

I'm throwing Emily's 2nd birthday party this weekend with a cupcake theme and I can't wait. The only thing separating me from my mother when it comes to party planning is the number of chafing dishes and glassware I own. I only have one chafing dish and 30+ wine glasses, but I'm working on it. Don't judge. I was thinking today about how we all tend to turn into our mothers in some ways. In my case, I've undoubtedly inherited the Type-A, party planning, list making gene. Emily already shows streaks of my stubbornness, impatience, and verbal propensity (I'll admit the first two are probably not my finest traits). A few days ago I told her to stop throwing food from her highchair. She responded by saying, "No! That's enough!" Oh, God... Is that what I sound like??? I'm trying to remember that I live with a sponge who absorbs everything I say and do. I want her to be like me, but only the me that I'm proud of. Is that too much to ask??

As a side note, I'm seriously interested in buying that hat if anyone sees one available. And another chafing dish.