ALERT: Jackdo

It's fascinating, watching a child's personality emerge. Some traits are unmistakably their own. But more often it seems that you can attribute a child's qualities and quirks to one parent or the other.

For instance, Jack carries my from-birth ability to be a bossy know-it-all. (Or is that just me acting like a three-year old? Hmm.)

From his dad, Jack has acquired the ability to FOCUS. I can finish a little hand stitching, help Jack complete an ABC puzzle on the floor, make scrambled eggs, start a load of laundry, make a phone call, read a story, and organize a closet shelf in the span of an hour. I flit and flutter from one thing to the next. Brett, on the other hand, concentrates on one thing at a time. Stays with it until it's done. Or until the thrill is gone.

I can almost hear my husband's thought process as I witness him FOCUS:

"Snowboarding. I like snowboarding. Gear, gear, gear. Snowboard, snowboard, snowboard. Fun, fun, fun. Now I'm done."

Or

"Computer game. I like this computer game. Learn, learn, learn. Play, play, play. Fun, fun, fun. Now I'm done."

And so goes Jack's play. He created one beautiful "eagle" out of these blocks and was thrilled with his original creation. Then the FOCUS kicked in:

"Eagles. I like building eagles. Blocks, blocks, blocks. Build, build, build. Fun, fun, fun."

And now he's done.