Lemons

James has had a fever off and on for the last couple days. Couple that with diarrhea for the last week, and pressure on his gums from molars just about to erupt (any day now! Please!) he's been a whiny, tired, clingy fellow prone to unpredictable stretches of biting and drooling and irregular appetite. Poor guy.

But last night was hilarious.

James spotted a bowl of lemon wedges leftover from dinner and lunged towards it. Buddy and Alice got excited at the prospect of seeing James' "sour face", which caught his attention. He grabbed half a lemon, held it up, and smiled while the other kids gasped and yelped. Then he stuck it in his mouth. The kids went crazy. I may have laughed and encouraged him, too (ahem). His sour face/shiver was sub-par, so that wasn't the hilarious part. What got me laughing out loud was James' innate sense of showmanship. He performed the trick over and over again with increasing flair. The kids' reactions grew louder and more impressed, too. At one point, James brought the lemon close to his mouth and held it there with his mouth wide open...Alice and Robert squealed! Then he pretended to take a bite of it. Alice hit the floor laughing. Buddy was jumping on his chair. You could tell James was quite proud of himself.

Dude. We thought we were going to laugh AT James and his silly sour face, but he turned it into a full-blown show with suspense and mystery. He's only 12 months old! This boy is full of surprises.