Family Tree

I love watching my kids with their grandparents. The love they have for each other, the spoiling that goes on, I just eat it up. Today when I watched Elise and Poppy carving pumpkins, I realized it was much, much more. They actually sort of act alike...

the same smirk

the same concentration

the same---I don't know...surliness.

 

This tree lives between our Surrogate Grandma and us. It is like part of our family and shows off then essence of a family tree. Its roots knocked out our sewer lines the week of my first child's birth, its limbs fall on our cars, and yet my love and respect never waiver. Oh, sure. I get angry sometimes and cuss it, but I can't stay mad for long. It's been alive much longer than I have, its grandiose stature gives me perspective on my life, its beauty welcomes me every morning on my way to the car, plus it provides such nice scenery for while I'm sitting on the toilet...anyway...like the ways of this tree, the traits that pop out in my kids never cease to amaze me. How do you pass an unwieldy attitude down to your grandchild? It is beyond me.

 

Well, she definitely got her Bebe's love for dogs.

This one's toothy grin is definitely from her Gigi. That one's a little easier to understand, but it still gets me tickled.

And, *somehow* she got her Papa Bruce's hambone. She talks to everyone she meets and can usually get out at least a smile from each and every one of them.

 

These two were definitely proud of their craftsmanship, and Poppy even worked through a meltdown (Poppy accidently carved the face Evie "wanted" on Elise's pumpkin and the face Elise wanted on Evie's pumpkin). Overall, though, it was a pretty great day!