I have learned that your kids will develop into whatever you mold them to be. Usually, they will reflect the personality traits you exhibit. But I believe that, if you are awesome enough, you will also subconsciously shape them into the greatest mash-up cast for a 80's television show ever.
My oldest, Danny, is a perfect cross between MacGyver, Lieutenant Templeton "Face" Peck, and Mork from Ork. MacGyver is a good description of Danny for two simple reasons: He loves to tinker with things and make them work and he will wait forever before getting his hair cut and will inevitably end up with "hockey hair" every three months or so. Danny is also the "Face" of my squad of children. He is quick to approach anyone, he's handsome, and he knows what to say to get things done. Also, I've seen him in the back yard with his toy rifle, and I have to believe that, just like the rest of the A-Team, he wouldn't be able to hit the broad side of a barn...But, there's a third side to him. The goofy, unexplainable and genuinely funny side. I once walked by his room and he was standing on the edge of the bed, flapping his arms and hooting like an owl. I asked what he was doing, and he replied "Just practicing..." I couldn't even imagine for what he was practicing, so I just kept walking, shaking my head. Another time, he came up to me walking like a robot and asked in a mechanical voice, "What is the recipe for peanut butter?"
Ana is a tricky one. She has a complexity that is hard to identify, so I have had to dig deep for this. You see, Ana had a timidness to her that keeps her from taking a lot of chance. This comes probably from her brothers being so over-the-top. But when she is alone or in a comfort zone, she has a creativity that is impressive. When in front of a authority figure, she sometimes becomes Vicki from "Small Wonder." She needs prompting for everything she needs to do, and is very slow and mechanical and precise in all her movements. When in this mode, she also takes everything extremely literally. "Could you put that bucket on the porch," is a quick way to find her climbing the trellis to place a bucket on the roof of the porch. Other times, she is sucked into the tomboy role as she is surrounded by two brothers. This is when she transforms into Louise McCloud from "The Young Riders." (I told you that I had to dig deep!) She plays "Soldiers" with Danny, digs in the sand box with James, and will settle for comic book movies instead of anything marketed towards young girls. But deep down, she is Blair from "The Facts of Life." Very pretty and very aware of it. She LOVES getting her hair done, and loves even more when people compliment her on it. She's not vain or egocentric. She just likes the attention occasionally pulled from her very "present" brothers and be placed on her. Ultimately, however, she seems to play the "female partner" of any 80's show. She is Mrs. King, Jennifer Hart, and Daisy Duke; able to keep up with the boys and usually the straight-laced one of the bunch.
James...Ah, James! He is the wild man. Imagine the insanity of Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock, the tenacity of Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus, and the unconventional leadership and disguises of Col. John "Hannibal" Smith all rolled into a 2' 6" package. He will drag anyone into his world, put on a cowboy hat and goggles, and physically push them into a game of "I pity the fool who don't play hide and seek with me," in which he will put the person in a place to hide and then spend about ten minutes "looking" for them. James also has hair of Jack Tripper and the coy looks of Remington Steele. He is a handsome boy, as well, and gets just about anything he wants, like Ricky Stratton. With his talking cars, his tendencies for large jumps and the uncontrollable desire to slide across the hood of my car, I also believe he is part Michael Knight. Although he doesn't have the chest full of "man mane," I have seen him destroy a cheeseburger while rolling on the floor and babbling unintelligibly, as well.
But, even though this sounds like a terrific cameo-rich episode of the Love Boat, there's more. They turn into dynamite teams when they're together. They play off of each other's strengths to form an unlikely alliance. Danny is the Bruce Banner to James' Hulk. Ana is the Larry Appleton to Danny's Balki Bartokomous. And James is the JR Ewing to...well...Everyone...
My children are who I make them. Everything I do, every word I speak, every gesture I make is a small nudge from me to them to who they will become. And, frankly, I am proud of who they are now and who they will become. And, anyways...I'm the 6 Million dollar Man, "Hawkeye" Pierce and The Fall Guy....Just Saying...
My oldest, Danny, is a perfect cross between MacGyver, Lieutenant Templeton "Face" Peck, and Mork from Ork. MacGyver is a good description of Danny for two simple reasons: He loves to tinker with things and make them work and he will wait forever before getting his hair cut and will inevitably end up with "hockey hair" every three months or so. Danny is also the "Face" of my squad of children. He is quick to approach anyone, he's handsome, and he knows what to say to get things done. Also, I've seen him in the back yard with his toy rifle, and I have to believe that, just like the rest of the A-Team, he wouldn't be able to hit the broad side of a barn...But, there's a third side to him. The goofy, unexplainable and genuinely funny side. I once walked by his room and he was standing on the edge of the bed, flapping his arms and hooting like an owl. I asked what he was doing, and he replied "Just practicing..." I couldn't even imagine for what he was practicing, so I just kept walking, shaking my head. Another time, he came up to me walking like a robot and asked in a mechanical voice, "What is the recipe for peanut butter?"
Ana is a tricky one. She has a complexity that is hard to identify, so I have had to dig deep for this. You see, Ana had a timidness to her that keeps her from taking a lot of chance. This comes probably from her brothers being so over-the-top. But when she is alone or in a comfort zone, she has a creativity that is impressive. When in front of a authority figure, she sometimes becomes Vicki from "Small Wonder." She needs prompting for everything she needs to do, and is very slow and mechanical and precise in all her movements. When in this mode, she also takes everything extremely literally. "Could you put that bucket on the porch," is a quick way to find her climbing the trellis to place a bucket on the roof of the porch. Other times, she is sucked into the tomboy role as she is surrounded by two brothers. This is when she transforms into Louise McCloud from "The Young Riders." (I told you that I had to dig deep!) She plays "Soldiers" with Danny, digs in the sand box with James, and will settle for comic book movies instead of anything marketed towards young girls. But deep down, she is Blair from "The Facts of Life." Very pretty and very aware of it. She LOVES getting her hair done, and loves even more when people compliment her on it. She's not vain or egocentric. She just likes the attention occasionally pulled from her very "present" brothers and be placed on her. Ultimately, however, she seems to play the "female partner" of any 80's show. She is Mrs. King, Jennifer Hart, and Daisy Duke; able to keep up with the boys and usually the straight-laced one of the bunch.
James...Ah, James! He is the wild man. Imagine the insanity of Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock, the tenacity of Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus, and the unconventional leadership and disguises of Col. John "Hannibal" Smith all rolled into a 2' 6" package. He will drag anyone into his world, put on a cowboy hat and goggles, and physically push them into a game of "I pity the fool who don't play hide and seek with me," in which he will put the person in a place to hide and then spend about ten minutes "looking" for them. James also has hair of Jack Tripper and the coy looks of Remington Steele. He is a handsome boy, as well, and gets just about anything he wants, like Ricky Stratton. With his talking cars, his tendencies for large jumps and the uncontrollable desire to slide across the hood of my car, I also believe he is part Michael Knight. Although he doesn't have the chest full of "man mane," I have seen him destroy a cheeseburger while rolling on the floor and babbling unintelligibly, as well.
But, even though this sounds like a terrific cameo-rich episode of the Love Boat, there's more. They turn into dynamite teams when they're together. They play off of each other's strengths to form an unlikely alliance. Danny is the Bruce Banner to James' Hulk. Ana is the Larry Appleton to Danny's Balki Bartokomous. And James is the JR Ewing to...well...Everyone...
My children are who I make them. Everything I do, every word I speak, every gesture I make is a small nudge from me to them to who they will become. And, frankly, I am proud of who they are now and who they will become. And, anyways...I'm the 6 Million dollar Man, "Hawkeye" Pierce and The Fall Guy....Just Saying...
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