Are your kids like you in ways that are eerie? Max is definitely his own person but sometimes I’m amazed at how like me he is.

He’s a rule follower. So am I. The few times in my youth that I rebelled (I mean, um, that one time that I got caught, Mom), I was so overwhelmed with guilt. He’s so afraid of doing anything that goes against the norm. Still, I’m pretty liberal these days, so that drives me crazy.

He likes a street fair as much as me. The hub would rather poke his eyes with a branding iron than walk down a street filled with thousands of sweaty people, hucksters selling solar paneling and water purifiers, the waft of waffle cones, street tacos and polish sausage dogs filling the air. We two? We like spinning the wheels and winning prizes. Eating our way down the street. Coming home with bellyaches.

He’s a worrywart like me, and I fear that he picked that up from watching me. He constantly worries that we’ll be late, probably because for years I urged him to move in the morning, or else “we’ll be late!” Now he checks his watch every two minutes. Drives me crazy #2.

We both would rather curl up with a good book or draw than be active. Though he’s great at soccer, and I only more recently discovered my inner athlete.

So when I see something I recognize in myself, I marvel at it. But I also marvel at the ways he’s made these characteristics, for better or worse, his own.

We have registries for weddings and babies. Why aren’t there ones for kids’ birthdays? My friends always ask what  Max wants. I usually know exactly what to tell them so that no one gets the same two gifts.

This year, I used my Out of Milk app on my phone and scanned the barcodes of all the gifts he’d like. I plan to adding it to his birthday evite.

I worried if that was too forward. Parents are weird; they say “you don’t have to get my kid a present!” But really? Don’t you? It’s not like the kid is going to be like “oh, I’d rather you donate the money to starving children.” He wants his Transformer. Now.

So maybe I’m rocking the boat, or maybe I’m starting a new trend. But I vote to incorporate kids’ birthday gift registries. Who’s with me??

I spouted off this post before I did research. There are a few places you can create generic registries. I’ve just never seen anyone do it!

Target has a generic list I’ll probably use. Here’s another.

Every year, Max’s school has a Multicultural Fair, where we eat carne asada and watch the kids perform a dance. Last year, he was adorable as a Kindergartener, but he was a little shy and not all about the dance.

This year was different.

He’s been practicing every day, and I can see the enthusiasm in his movements. The dance is more complicated. He’s been excited.

Then the day came, and my little boy brought me to tears, once again.

And one major landmark was that this kid, who has been averse to face painting his whole life allowed the sweet teacher who trained them on the dance to paint African designs on his arms. He didn’t want to take the paint off that night.

I’m so proud of him, and watching him grow up is a joy.