Spin Cycle: Ear-y Coincidences (Keep reading, you'll get it.)

You've heard that joke before, haven't you? About how all kids are made adorable so their parents don't sell them off to the gypsies? (Yeah, the punchline I've received a few times involved worse, but I don't like to think that way when it comes to children. Call me prude. Even if my name is Jen.)

Well, let me just add my own statement to the mix that I have an absolutely beautiful little girl. Sure, you all tell me this ALL THE TIME, and even if it wasn't true, I believe it myself, so there.

(All right, I've been meaning to write about this for a while, but it will just have to do as a tangent: I've had people come up to me, asking about how Sprite is, what she's doing these days, you know, getting the update on her life since they see me from time to time. I fill them in on the "She's fine" moments and their response is always "She's so beautiful!"... Hmm. Am I the only one who thinks this response is an automatic, one to fill the dead space of conversation and put a period on it because it's done and the only way you can come back with an answer is to say "thank you" and "Can you pass the sweetener since my coffee isn't going to doctor itself and you're blocking the machines?" While I smile at people who tell me how pretty or beautiful or intelligent Sprite is, a little thought goes off inside my head, if you're close enough, you can smell the smoke, that they're just saying it to be kind, but they don't really mean it. Just a thought! Not a reason to tell me she's cute! In fact, let's forget I even mentioned it.) (Erasing the entire tangent would take care of that nicely...)

Sprite looks just like John. Now, if you watch the comments section, my mom will probably chime in at some point today (she's the infamous "Baba" if you're new to Sprite's Keeper) with all sorts of reminders about how Sprite acts like me. Yeah, yeah, heard it all before, but in terms of her looks, she favors her father.

I've written before about Sprite's angel bite which is high on her left ear. It's something I subconsciously look for when I greet her at the end of each school day, you know, just in case the aliens came down and abducted the real Sprite, replacing her with a pretty authentic looking replica, I'd be able to tell if this chameleon was really my kid. She doesn't have many other noticeable quirks about her body, a little spot on her cheek that shows a fraction of a shade darker than the rest of her flawless face, and yes, this little spot has been swiped with a wet wipe far too many times since I would think it was dirt, (Haven't tried Mother's Spit yet. Do you think that will get it out?) but nothing else that really stands out except for a tiny mark on the back of her ear. This little mark stands on the outer rim, almost always covered by hair, something that gets overlooked all the time, in fact, John didn't even know about it until I pointed it out to him a year ago.

It looks like someone dotted her with a brown Sharpie, that's how small and round it is. I thought it was an unusual spot to have a birthmark until one day when I was checking my own ears. I've had issues with my ears, or more specifically the double pierced holes in my ears since I was a kid. I'm allergic to most metals so wearing earrings is only reserved for special occasions. In fact, I'm not even sure if I can still get the shafts through my ears since it's been so long for me. Anyway, as I flipped the shells of my ears forward, I noticed my left ear had a spot on the back rim. Of course, the exact same place as Sprite. At first I thought it was dirt and I wasn't doing a good enough job cleaning, but after scratching at it, confirmed it was indeed a birthmark, one that had escaped my attention for all of my life.

I showed John this similarity between Sprite and myself and he kind of shrugged, commenting that people would find our identical personalities to be the real bond breaker. Sometimes, he can be a buzzkill..

His mom though, she gave me the reaction I was looking for, her eyes widening, her mouth forming a perfect 'o', not unlike her granddaughter (whose father takes after his mother's side), her smile of surprise just what I wanted to see.

I think it's cool, myself.

So there it is, my ear-y coincidence. Get it now? It only proves that Sprite really is my daughter and was, in fact, NOT an alien substitute. Unless.... we're both alien substitutes?

(That would explain SO much...)

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Now go and bond with these amazing Spinners!

And a link!

Peg over at Square Peg in a Round Hole

Erin over at It's Only a Movie

Alaina over at View From Down Here

Pseudo over at Pseudonymous High School Teacher

Patty over at Pancakes Gone Awry

Camille over at Archives of Our Lives

Maureen over at IslandRoar

Jan over at Jan's Sushi Bar

Gretchen over at Second Blooming

Stacy over at Stacy Uncorked -New Name!

Mama Badger over at Out of the Boondocks and Into the Burbs...

Vandy over at The Testosterone Three and Me -Updated Friday! Fresh Spin!

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Next Week's Spin Cycle: Mystery Spin!

Hee hee, I've been planning this for a while, compiling some of my favorite Spin topics so I could run a huge mamma-jamma Spin session which would truly be all over the place. Kind of like that last sentence.

Okay, the Spin topics in no discernible order are:

Happiness Memories Holidays   Embarrasment    Money

Work   Love Quirks    Pet Peeves Children    Fears

Anger Management    Pets       Time FREE SPIN!

Here's the way we're gonna play this week: If you want to play this Spin Cycle, just leave a note in the comments saying "Yo, Jen! Give me a Spin!" and I'll email you the randomly picked topic singled out by Sprite herself. Unless she's busy. Then I can use John. If HE'S busy, you're stuck with me. Sorry. I will try to get the emails turned around as quickly as possible, which means stalking my own comments like a crazed lunatic hitting refresh while the casserole burns on the stovetop and the kid screams and the dogs bark and nothing gets done. Basically what I do every day.

Just make sure your email is correct and I'll send you your Spin! You don't have to do it right away. Just do it by Friday and we'll all be happy Spinners. (Oh, and if you prefer a certain topic and make it known in your comment? I'm a total pushover. Chances are good you'll get it. Just like chances are good Sprite will get chicken nuggets for dinner again tonight. Because I'm WEAK.)

See you next week on the Spin Cycle! (I should do a Spin on tangents. I seem to be full of them..)

Comments

[Rachel]

As and adopted child I get the thrill of a visible genetic bond better than most! When I see that Lilli's hands are identical to mine only miniature (remind me to show you) I get an actual physical little shiver up my spine. So having the same birthmark? Awesome.

[Andrea]

I LOVE little identical things like that. Very cool. But yea, I still doubt anyone would have trouble figuring out Sprite is yours - and that's a good thing!

oooh! and i want a topic!

will have my spin up tonight (or tomorrow - depends on how late my work happy hour goes today :-) )

[robin]

It's funny, I kinda think she looks just like you. Maybe because I have only seen John in pictures?
I think sometimes we have this funny way of being able to see one parent in a child because we want to. If that makes any sense?

[Michele]

I don't know, I see a lot of both of you in her. When our oldest was born he looked just like me. Now 26 years later he looks like himself. That seems to be the way that works. Unless, of course, you were alien substitutes.

Okay, I'll bite. Send me a spin. I'll see what I can come up with for a misspent youth story.

[unmitigated me (m.a.w.)]

Send me a spin, baby!

[Alaina]

Yo, Jen! Give me a spin :-)

[Patty]

Yeah, my kids all look like their dad, too, though my mom staunchly disagrees. She claims Tommy looks like her side of the family, but who wouldn't? He's so darn cute.

Anyway, I think the ear thing is totally awesome. I was hoping one of my kids would get my recessive trait of attached earlobes (which we talked a lot about in high school biology when we studied genetics). Turns out, Tommy did, so maybe my mom is right, after all. Don't tell her I said that, though, ok?

Oh, and I'd like a spin, please. (I am nervous. What if I get writer's block???)

patty.porch@juno.com
Thanks.

[Mama Badger]

That's a great tie between you and Sprite. Almost like a "secret" connection. I have a friend who's son is a red head with blue eyes. He has dark brown hair and green eyes. People always joke that the boy might not be his... But every summer they get identical buzz cuts so that you can see they both have a birthmark in the same place on the back of their heads!

BTW, I'd like a spin, too, please.

[Dawn]

I can relate, Noelle looks just like me and Noah is a dead ringer for his daddy. Though he kinda looks like Noelle did at 9 months only...less round. But it's always so much fun to see the ways in which your kids are similar.

I'm ready to play; spin me!

[VandyJ]

My bonds spin is up:http://tttandme.blogspot.com/2010/06/spin-cycle-ties-that-bind.html

I'm always looking for those little bits of nick and I in both Bruiser and Turbo. I find more in Turbo cause he looks like me, but I see a few in Bruiser too.

And I want a spin topic for next week too! Please?

[SuziCate]

Isn't it funny how a child can look like one parent and act like another? I love that! Hmmmm, this weeks Spin sounds interesting...I'll review the topics and see if I'm brave enought to let you Spin me!

[Baba]

O.K. I have two pictures right in front of me. In younger pictures she looks like her Nana but the next one(at her last B-Day) she looks just like you...she acts like you....her smile is you.....No you or sprite are not Adopted(even you seem to think so some times) Now alien Substitutes I would have to look behind your ear to find out. Sprite is beautiful....and no I'm not saying this because It's expected, or it sounds right to say. She is smart and she messes with your mind just like you did when you were that age.
Is that what you were expecting? if yes? Then my work is done here.........

[Kingsmom]

I love these types of coincidences. My mom and I have matching birthmarks on our back. Same exact spot. The king has a tiny freckle in the same spot too...

[Kay]

I also love to see the birthmarks on my kids. The daughter has one on her forehead- the older son has one on his side, and the younger son had one on his neck. I, of course, can't tell if I have any since I am covered with freckles and various aging spots.

how sweet to have matching marks though :)and I love Baba's comments. Mom's are so cool.

[Kendra]

Leo is almost exactly half me and half his dad so we both are always told he looks exactly like us! So he can't ever deny us!

I would like to get back in the swing of things and mystery spin next week!

[Gretchen]

First, I LOVE that you and Sprite have matching ear spots! Don't you just love that! Jude and I have the same hands. Sometimes, I'll just sit and stare at them next to each other. Crazy.

Second...send me a spin. I'll be camping all week, but maybe I can get it up by Friday. Thanks!

[Heather]

Yo, Jen! Give me a spin

[Heather]

I want a time spin, it's already composing in my head.

Yo, Jen! Give me my spin!

[Pseudo]

I think the identical spots are very cool Jen. I don't think I've seen that before with parent/ child.

I'll play mystery spin Jen.

[Peg]

What Alaina said!

Spin me up Jen!

[Peg]

Your mom cracks me up. I see where you got your sense of humor. I seriously do not believe people are just telling you that about Sprite. She IS gorgeous. I have a funny story about an incident like that I need to post about.

[Jamie @ PB&N]

I find the identical birthmark thing fascinating. The Man Cub has two birthmarks, both just like his daddy. I am told he has my "perfectly shaped" (my aunt) ears and my smile. I think he looks like himself or my brother, not me or the hubs. We all see different things.

[Maureen@IslandRoar]

John's just jealous. I think that is SO cool! My son has one pointed ear lobe and one rounded, like my dad.
Okay, dare I say it......Send me a Spin, surprise me!!

[~The South Dakota Cowgirl~ aka, Jennifer]

Yo! Jen! Gimme a Spun!

[Stacy (the Random Cool Chick)]

I absolutely love that you and Sprite have the same spot on the back of your ear - that's a forever bond if I've ever heard one! :) I think Sprite looks like a great combination of both you and John - at least from the pictures I've seen. The perfect mix! :) Princess Nagger sometimes looked just like the hubby when she was a baby - probably the short hair mode, but as she's gotten older, she looks more and more like a mini me. But she acts a lot like her Dada - especially when they're both acting like 5 year olds! ;)

And yes, please, send me a spin! :)