My hubby really loves the Canadian tv series Trailer Park Boys – and every time we (frequently) observe our children displaying characteristics that are clearly from us we use a quote from Trailer Park Boys: “The sh*t apple don’t fall far from the sh*t tree.” or “A sh*t leopard can’t change it’s spots.”
I think @Adirondackwannabe‘s stepfather says it a lot nicer, but we say it nearly daily. ;)
Here’s the latest instance. Both hubby in I work in sales-y professions. Our 9 yr. old youngest son has some order of magnitude more charm & sales skill than I’ve ever seen in either hubby or myself. Little son is a born peace-maker, charmer, Eddie Haskell and salesman all rolled into one.
Last night we went couch shopping at a large furniture store. While most kids would be running around, eating the free cookies or bouncing on the display furniture, our son carefully followed us, listened to the couches we each liked and once the sales person starting talking to us son took over the negotiations. Not with the salesperson, per se, instead he took over her job selling us the couches. He showed us all the fabric samples, worked on getting consensus between all the family members on which fabric texture, color and sectional configuration to order..it was amazing.
At first the sales woman tried to redirect and take back control of the conversation—but after a while she stepped back and let him run the show. Part way through she shook her head in amazement and said: “Wow, is he ever a good salesman!”
Hubby and I made eye contact and said telepathically: “That’s our little sh*t apple.”