"Momma, can you please not do that anymore?"

He can't really be saying this! Did he really just say that?! Ever since Brody could sit in a high chair we've had this routine. I'd wipe his little face and he'd try to eat the towel, as I'm sure all babies do. But I'd let him have it when I was done and say, "Missed a spot." As he got older our routine changed. He'd stick out his tongue and I'd say it. Then when he could talk he'd say, "You missed a spot." and stick out his tongue. Then he'd wipe his own mouth and I'd come to do the parts he'd really missed and I'd say it and he'd stick his tongue out. Then we moved in with my sister to have our house remodeled. I continued the tradition there but when Rhys was born we moved to my mom and dad's house while Dave stayed behind to work. When Brody ate, my mom would get the spots we missed but she didn't know about the tongue. When he stuck it our at her she was a little confused and I had to explain. Eventually, because she kept forgetting, I think, he quit getting his tongue wiped. When we moved back into our house I started up our eating ritual but Brody had forgotten. I said, "Missed a spot." and he just looked at me waiting for me to wipe his face. I told him to stick out his tongue and I dabbed at it. He said, "Why did you do that?" I could not believe that he didn't know. I explained it to him and he laughed. We've been doing it again ever since....until this morning and that's what he said!! I must've looked pretty heart broken. He quickly said it was okay if we kept doing it. I don't ever want my kids to feel like I'm laying a guilt trip on them so we'll see if he asks to do it at lunch. Maybe I won't argue if he wants to do it but I just can't keep him a baby forever. I just don't want to lose the special things that we have. The stupid little things like dabbing at his tongue with a wet paper towel and saying, "Missed a spot."