Nature? Nuture?

We, that is Collin and I, are becoming more and more distracted by every truck or vehicle with more than four tires or an engine louder than a moped, that passes our path. It has gotten to the point that we can't go for a stroll without his arm propelling from the stroller at such regular intervals that I'm considering installing an armrest for him so it will be more comfortable for him to just leave it extended, for all the pointing and grunting he's doing. Apparently, it's vitally important that I notice the FedEx guy is at the neighbor's house, the TruGreen Lawn guy is driving by on the highway across the way and the school bus is dropping kids off down the street. Don't get me started on the reaction if it's garbage day.

I've discovered that if there are trucks on our street, making deliveries, mashing garbage or recyclables or simply stuffing mail in the boxes, it can keep my son entertained and still for a long time on my lap to watch, mouth wide for a long time, longer than if he were given a sedative I imagine. The other day, when the garbage man came by, he sat and watched, arm outstretched in perpetual point for nearly fifteen minutes and waved until the truck was out of sight around the corner.

Here's what I'm thinking, if he were a girl, would he be at all interested in this stuff? I question this because he plays with little Gracie at the park every day and she does NOT stop her imaginary games every sixteen seconds to point at the road when a truck passes or an airplane rumbles overhead, let alone the myriad of traffic helicopters (we do live in L.A. remember!).

Don't get me wrong, I know that supposedly if we present our children with gender neutral toys and toys from both sides of the chromosome map, they'll play across the map, but something tells me that this stuff is slightly ingrained. Like, if I gave my kid a Barbie, instead of dancing it around or changing her shoes, he'd take her by the hair and swing her in circles, or figure out which of his trucks she'd fit into and drive her off into the sunset.