Annoying
As many of you may know, I am the proud mom of 4 kids. What you may not know is how fantastic they all are. I know I may not be the most objective judge of this, but my children are (b'li ayin hara) four of the most beautiful, intelligent, young human specimens I know. I can attest to the truth of this by the fact that all of their grandparents totally agree with me. Especially my husband's grandmother. The only minor problem I have with her devotion and adoration for them is her claim that every single one of my children is a carbon copy of my husband, or one or another of my husband's relatives.
Now don't misundertand me, I married OrthoDad and think he's great-looking. But does his grandmother mean to imply that all of my (estimated) 23,299 genes have been so diluted by her side of the family's gene pool that they have been rendered completely insignificant?
Let's be clear. I am the first to call a spade a spade. Most of my children look very much like their father. But one kid, (just one! That's all I ask for!) has some of my features. Don't take my word for it, I get comments from strangers about how much this one (just one!) child looks like me all the time. But no. OrthoGrandma is not having it. According to her, the fact that my son doesn't look exactly like my husband? That's because he's the spitting image of my husband's brother as a child.
Arrgh. I can't win. You'd think all I do is just incubate 'em for nine months...
Anyone else have a similar story to tell? Please share. It would make me feel so much less marginal.
Now don't misundertand me, I married OrthoDad and think he's great-looking. But does his grandmother mean to imply that all of my (estimated) 23,299 genes have been so diluted by her side of the family's gene pool that they have been rendered completely insignificant?
Let's be clear. I am the first to call a spade a spade. Most of my children look very much like their father. But one kid, (just one! That's all I ask for!) has some of my features. Don't take my word for it, I get comments from strangers about how much this one (just one!) child looks like me all the time. But no. OrthoGrandma is not having it. According to her, the fact that my son doesn't look exactly like my husband? That's because he's the spitting image of my husband's brother as a child.
Arrgh. I can't win. You'd think all I do is just incubate 'em for nine months...
Anyone else have a similar story to tell? Please share. It would make me feel so much less marginal.
posted by orthomom at 12:03 AM
11 Comments:
My wife's grandmother does the same thing. She has yet to find anything in common between my children and myself, aside from a last name.
I just ignore it because anyone who can see remarks on the features we share. But it is irritating.
Granted I don't know anything about how you or your husband looks, but considering all the overlapping Jewish geneologies, chances are YOU look someone in your husband's family. :)
Of course this doesn't make your grandmother-in-law any less annoying for making this comments, but she might not be completely wrong.
Orthomom,
I don't have this problem since all of my children look exactly like me. Just kidding.
Don't feel marginal. Sit back, have a good laugh, and enjoy all of the nachas that you get from your children.
I was really surprised yesterday when i saw some of my brother in law's features in my oldest last night. I didn't see that coming.
You ever see that picture that is both a really old woman and a young girl. Whatever one you see first is the one you always believe is correct. And even though you will grudgingly admit that maybe you can see the other face in the picture, you never really see the other face clearly.
Its not surprising that all she ses are your husbands featuers. That what she looked for, that's what she found, and certainly someone who's not blood is going to be able to convince her otherwise.
Same story here but reverse. All look like me, except one, a carbon copy of my wife, who my dad says looks like my brother.
Does anyone find that this effects how you interact with each?
Nah. I find the fact that they are OrthoDad's mini-mes to be the cutest thing.
Nice post. I think anyone with in-laws can probably relate to this.
Surely your grandmother-in-law must concede that you bring some genes to the table here. Perhaps one or more of your children suffer from allergies or lefthandedness. Maybe they were colicky as babies or have ears that stick out a lttle too far. Maybe they're only A- students. If there are any minor shortcomings with these "most beautiful, intelligent, young human specimens," they no doubt are a reflection on YOU.
At least that's the way it was in my family, in the humble opinions of my grandmother and mother, alayhen hashalom.
LOLOLOL! Uncle Moishy, you got it exactly right. One of my kids has allergies, and she always makes sure to tell me that there were never any allergies in HER branch of the family!
Toes. I always told my wife our kids have her toes.
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