The Fruit Lady lives on

We're in the car, driving to Sesame Place. Right before we walked out the door, I grabbed a bunch of peaches and plums from a bowl that sits on the kitchen counter. "Everyone needs to eat more fruit!" I announced. And then I thought, wow, I am so turning into my mom.

Growing up, my friends called her The Fruit Lady because whenever they came over, within seconds she'd offer them a piece of fruit. And now, here I was, pushing peaches and plums.

I am generally more like my dad than my mom, so realizing I've picked up some of her quirks amuses me. Like her, I am nutty about keeping the kitchen clean. I don't put top sheets on the bed (Mom: "Who needs the extra laundry?"). I make lots of to-do lists. I must have lipstick on when I leave the house, even if I have on no other makeup. I am a sucker for babies and speak uninhibitedly to them in gibberish. I like hipster undies; mercifully, I did not inherit her house robe gene.

Which quirks and habit have you picked up from your mom?