like daughter, like mother?

Kayley's been going through quite a growth spurt lately, both physically and developmentally. Apparently she's been quite the little stunt woman lately. She fell at daycare and bumped her head on a window sill. She took a digger in the driveway and scraped both her knees and her arm. Steph said she was standing on the couch (not allowed) when her dad came home, and K got so excited she just stepped off the couch.

Now, in my head I'm thinking 'like mother, like daughter,' but I didn't want to say it. Fortunately, Steph beat me to it: "Not only does the apple not fall far from the tree, the apple is still part of the tree."

Seriously, it's genetic. We come from a family of fallers. I'm not talking little stumbles, I'm talking careening down the stairs of the Bunker Hill monument, shattering knee caps (multiple times), breaking toes, backs, heels off shoes, cutting open faces. My sister's nick name in high school was "step funny." Clearly, Kayley takes after her mother.

But apparently she takes after her auntie, too. K's really coming in to her terrible two's. Last week she got mad at Steph so she left the room, got her blocks, and came back in the room to throw them. She didn't just grab what was available and chuck it, she chose her weapon. (Fortunately for Steph, she didn't choose one of her wood block puzzles!) "She has you in her!" Steph told me. Me? "Yes, you. She just gets this look, and I'm like, 'I know that look. That's Amy. I already grew up with this!'" My aunt confirmed.

The other day, Steph asked her, "Do you channel Auntie Amy?"

K's response? "No, mommy, you channel Auntie Amy." She has no idea what that means, but she knows how to say it with attitude.

Apparently my niece's inner bitch is Auntie Amy.