Will he always?

When extraordinarily talented people talk about their childhood, they remember the things they've "always" done.  Or better yet, their parents remember.

"He was only 2 years old, but he sang the life out of those ABCs. I always knew he had a musical gift."
or
"I never taught her how to paint, she was born knowing what to do."

Those of us who are average probably don't remember how well we sang the ABCs or how well we painted, but I've often wondered about the ways I haven't changed since I was a little girl.

Josh's step-mom remembers Josh wiping his mouth with his napkin after every bite. While I rarely see Josh with a napkin, he is definitely not one of those people you're constantly telling that "you've got something right .... there...." while making the gesture. You know the one. He's still a very neat eater.

One of the best parts of being a mom is that instead of wondering what I did as a kid, now I get to wonder what Tommy will do when he grows up.

In 25 years will I be telling his wife about how "he has always held the spoon way too far up on the handle" or "he's been making that exact face since he was a year old" (the one where he tilts his head down and looks up at you - peeking out from under his own eyebrows) or maybe even "that kid has always loved the remote....sorry about that".

Of course there are some things that I sincerely hope will go, like eating oatmeal with his fingers, picking his nose, and the belly-button obsession (adorable on a child, creepy on an old man).

But many many more which I hope are here to stay. The love of music, the willingness to try any food, the smile (oh, that smile!), the looking out the window, the giggles, the ankle-crossing, the constant desire to read a book.

I love this boy. So much that it hurts. I can hardly wait to see what is here to stay with this kid.