'dips' in the gene pool...I mean into

Ok. So this is our eldest (about ten years ago). Look at that face. Cute, huh? He was such a funny, bright little kid. He loved dinosaurs, building with blocks and was working 200 piece puzzles by the time he was three years old. As with most first children, we had high hopes for this one. I remember talking with my husband and having discussions like...

"I wonder what he'll be when he grows up," I'd say dreamily.


"Oh, it's hard to say," my husband would reply smugly, "a rocket scientist, a Nobel prize winner, the President...yep, hard to say."



Flash forward ten years...

"Rufus" as we lovingly refer to him is still very smart. The boy loves to read and is rarely without some big book in his hand. He also loves t.v. He is extremely proficient at kicking our rumps at most video games. And then gloating. He's taking guitar lessons and beginning to show all the signs of becoming a teenager. He could get along better with his sister, but all in all, he's a great kid.

You see, there are some attributes that I would run to the front of the line to try and claim proudly that I've passed down to him...things like his musical ability, intellect and quick wit. (Who wouldn't want to take credit for those things!) He gets jokes, though he's not great at telling them, and he can be king of the comeback (which if not used carefully can get him into trouble). You see, he can make me laugh, and the bad thing is he knows it. For instance, he thinks it is endlessly funny while I'm trying to correct him or discuss something in school to gesture to me by patting his chest and saying in his silliest voice, "Bring it on, old lady." Well, the first time it's really funny. But when you are REALLY trying to get him to do something, it can be extremely annoying. It makes me want to "bring it!"

That being said, there are other traits he possesses that scientifically cannot be linked to my DNA, that make me worry about his future and wonder what happened to my sweet child in the picture...and must therefore be attributed to his father. Like...the boy could belch the entire Bill of Rights if I did not interrupt him by shrieking, "Stop that! That is so gross! Don't you want to date some day?! EWWW!!!" His response? "So...rry." (sometimes burped) And then he falls out in the floor laughing. Seriously, is this just a guy thing? When was the last time you saw a girl behaving like this? I think there must be something attached to the y-chromosome related to belching and flatulence. It's the only plausible explanation.

Please do not write to me and try to explain that I'm being too hard on him and that it's "a part of nature" and he can't help it. I'm not buying it. It is not natural or normal to be able to belch long documents at will. I cannot be convinced otherwise. Don't waste your time.

Well, luckily for us, his good qualities overshadow (most of the time) these anomalies, again attributed to the paternal side of the ol' gene pool, and "Rufus" is a keeper. He really is a fantastic big brother, at least to the little boys. I think it's because on some level, he knows he will be able to "pass on" all these things that right now he thinks are fabulously funny. Elijah is a little young yet, but he's already started with Wyatt...you should hear him belch the preamble...

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DISCLAIMER: Lest anyone think Rufus actually knows the Bill of Rights, I simply meant the boy can burp, and at superhuman, unnatural lengths and volumes. He cannot literally or otherwise quote the Bill of Rights. It was the first lengthy document which came to mind while blogging about the boy and his unusual "talent." My apologies for any misunderstandings.