My husband is and always has been an avid deer hunter.  He loves everything about it.  He loves the peace of being in the woods, communing with nature...blah blah blah.  I, myself, have never understood the attraction of sitting in a tree freezing off parts of me I'd rather keep.  However, it's what he loves so he looks forward to it with great anticipation. 

Over the years, the older boys began to show an interest themselves and as teens joined him in this past time.  None of them ever really showed a true fascination for it as young children, until Ethan, my four year old.  I don't know what it is exactly that stuck with this child, but he is utterly engrossed in the idea of wildlife, hunting and fishing.  He's FOUR and will ask what kind of deer he's looking at and can actually distinguish between an Elk and a Whitetail deer.  It's astounding.

Today I had to take him and the baby to see his pediatrician.  As soon as we entered the waiting room he did his usual run through the available toys and began sifting through the childrens books.  When that didn't seem to hold his interest, he then tackled the stack of magazines on the table beside the chairs I was sitting in.  This was his normal routine so while he kept himself busy with that I entertained his four month old sister.  When he got excited and exclaimed "I love this book!", I barely glanced in his direction uttering the half hearted, "that's nice honey".  He sat QUIETLY and actually looked at a book for more then two minutes.

Soon after the nurse called us to come in to see the doctor and I told him to put down the book, it was time to go in.  He looked at me as if I had asked him to cut off his arm and began to plead with me to PLEASE let him take the book with him.  Finding that strange I said ok but he had to be careful and only THEN did I ask ..."what kind of book is that?".  He shot me a huge smile and held up a copy of Field and Stream magazine!