My Flesh and Blood

Alex climbed into the car the other day holding a water bottle and a novel. I was so proud! That there is my son...those are my ever-present companions, as well! He is currently reading the 39 Clues books, which I've just started myself.
We were playing Apples to Apples Junior with the kids last night, and for the adjective 'boring' I put out the card 'Football Game'. Michael and Fiona placed out their options, and Alex, as judge, chose 'Football Game', saying "definitely that one!". Again, I'm a proud mama! I do understand that he could change his mind in the future, but I hadn't expected him to pick my card and was just surprised.
Alex's personality is also like mine in some ways. He's very sensitive and extremely conscientious. He is ALWAYS thinking about the environment and trying to come up with ways to save the planet. He's also very interested in nutrition and often makes 'healthy' choices that are contrary to his natural kid cravings! He believes in science and is quite the religious critic!

Actually, I don't know that these tendencies are heritable, and I assume they largely have to do with his influence by me. However, Fiona is not so much that way. Alex was ranting about slavery one day and Fiona said sweetly, "I'd like to have a maid". I laughed and thought that I could totally imagine what it would have been like if they'd been children on a slave plantation. Alex would have made fast friends with a slave and have pushed the slave into making an escape. Alex would probably run away with him to provide him cover! Fiona, on the other hand, would never contemplate the morality of the situation, but she would be incredibly charming to them and the slaves would think she was a lovely doll!
Alex is an outside-the-box thinker. He is not one to follow the masses, which of course brings a bit of innate turmoil to life that many consider unnecessary, but I secretly am full of pride in my conviction that Alex would not have condoned slavery or have been a mindless SS soldier in Nazi Germany. Psychological studies show most people are prone to mindless following of the mass concensus. It takes a strong moral sense and ethical radar to refrain, and I have no doubt at all Alex has that rare and precious trait.

Alex is definitely his own person, though, and he does have a good bit of Michael in him as well. Alex is surprisingly sentimental and loves to buy presents for other people. He personally bought cards for both Michael and me for Thanksgiving. He doesn't act like such a sappy chap, but he's a dear sweetheart. His letter to Santa this year was loathe to ask for anything, and he wrote over half a page before mentioning any item, which was only a DVD movie and movie tickets! He's been dying to see Alvin and the Chipmunks for over a year and now, apparently, a new movie is coming out. That's it! No, I don't take credit for Alex's generous, sentimental nature (Michael!) or lack of greed (hmm, maybe Michael, too!).

Not 100% absent, though... Alex seems to think he should give things away, but often, if other people make it clear that they don't want something or are done with it, I can see him gladly take it. He'll buy something for Fiona and then sort of wheedle a bit from her... I suppose my concern is more that he won't buy what he wants for himself, but he will a little bit. And I mean, would he really be okay with only a DVD for Christmas? Just a bit concerned that he doesn't think it's okay to ask for things for himself. (That can be Michael, too!)

Contrary to what I've just written, though, Alex is Mr. Businessman. He's always been fascinated by the thought of selling things and making money (his Capricorn sun sign, methinks). He actually does sell things fairly easily and brings home cash from deals that he's made. THAT is not me AT ALL. Nor is it Michael in the slightest. Yay for the Capricorn influence, I suppose!

Alex actually currently donates quite a bit of his allowances to environmental groups such as The Ocean Conservancy and National Wildlife Federation. They have no idea what a large portion of his income he donates.

Alex is not perfect, but wow. A Tibetan Buddhist monk met Alex when he was a baby and said something about him being the embodiment of a holy figure. Perhaps it was a jest, but that crosses my mind a lot...