Open wide!

I know how I am going to die...
Remember the movie Gladiator.  The scene where Caesar tells his only son that he will not be Emperor.  The scene where the son clutches his feeble father so tightly that he cannot breathe.  Such is my fate.

I do love the boy dearly.  I like to "have fun" with the boy, as well. We both like to have fun at the others expense.  Just typical guy stuff.  Either one of us, not unlike sharks smelling blood, will tease the other at the first sign of, well, whatever...

Here is the setup.  Whenever Sterling is truely concentrating, he will open his mouth without knowing it.  I'm not talking open a sliver...I mean you could park a car in there.  Example:  while doing homework, I will ask him to do the same homework while keeping his mouth closed.  While sitting next to him and watching a movie, he will be so focused on the movie I can turn toward him, grab a pen/pencil and poke his tongue with it.

Tonight he was sitting across from me and playing the "drums" on two of our stools.  Once again, so focused on keeping the beat his mouth was gaping.  I asked if he could play those same drums with his mouth closed.  He bet me one dollar that he could do it for a whole minute. He won the bet but that's not the point.  Soon enough he will be focused on some task.  Focused enough that his mouth will be wide open.  Open enough that I will mention it to him and smile.  He will smile back...
...and Rome will have a new Emperor.