Night of the Hunter

 As is required of my status as not-first-time-mother, I haven't looked at one of those developmental milestone charts since before Dominic was born, the thinking being a combination of "I got this" and "Who has time for that any more." So I don't really know what my kid is or isn't supposed to be doing, and I don't really know if the following skill is listed on any of those charts, but who cares. This kid is clearly a genius.

The day after Thanksgiving we were lounging around my parent's kitchen when Dominic announced loudly, "Bug!!!! Bug!!! Bug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Well, that got me moving. Especially when I saw that it wasn't a bug, but a spider. A big, black spider. Taking a moment from my freak out to educate my young son I shrieked, "Spider!!!!!!!!!" After which Dominic began to also yell, but more gleefully, "Spider! Spider!!!!"

My mother grabbed a paper towel and as she leaned over to handle things, Dominic plucked the paper towel from her hand, said, "Thanksssss," and got the spider. He needed a little help with the smashing part, but I feel I can brag that my little baby boy had rescued us all from certain danger.

Brad claims that Dominic knew what to do with the paper towel because he has seen us kill bugs in that same manner many times. Boring. I choose to believe that somewhere deep inside of my son's brain stem is the instinct to protect, a la man v nature.....in that moment we were a tribal family, living in a hut, and our young son (pretty much) single-handedly delivered us from a venomous scorpion.

I'm telling you. GENIUS.

and cute