Smarty Pants

I'm pretty sure my son is the smartest 1 year old of all time.

Okay, I'm exaggerating. I try not to be that mom. You know the type - the parent who thinks their kid is cuter, smarter, faster (insert adjective of choice) than any other child and can do absolutely no wrong. Right. I'm totally not that mom. But, I have to say that Jackson has Drew & I marveling at some of the things he has picked up recently.

In no particular order:

• He knows how to cheer for the Jayhawks. If we say "Let's go Jayhawks" he completes the cheer by clapping his hands.
• He has learned how to push buttons. Particularly the buttons on his new toys that result in some sort of song or obnoxious noise.
• He knows that the sound of the washer/dryer chime means we need to go to the laundry closet and do something. Immediately. In fact, just tonight, the 3 of us were watching football. Jackson had almost dozed off on my shoulder when the wash machine chimed. He jerked his head up, looked right at me and said, "uh oh". As though alerting me that we had a serious problem. The washing machine needed attention, but we were having a major cuddle session that was not to be disturbed. What a quandary!
• He knows Ruby's morning routine. He points to her treat jar, gives her a treat, points to the baby gate (she's gated in the house when it's too cold to be outside) and waves bye-bye. In that order. Without me saying a word.
• He can identify your nose. (We've now moved on to eyes. He has yet to master that one.)
• He can shoot a basket in his new basketball hoop. And then proceeds to clap his hands after a made shot. (Apparently we made a big deal out of it the first time he actually made one. He now believes every made shot deserves a round of applause.)
• He coughs into his elbow. This one still blows my mind. We just discovered it this weekend, but there is no mistaking it - he coughs into his elbow. Our only explanation is that Drew & I are both diligent about doing that. He must have just picked it up by watching us.

Okay, so he's not performing brain surgery (yet). But as I said, we marvel daily at how quickly he learns. Children truly are sponges!

For the record, here is video proof of at least 1 of the items on the list above.