There's just some stuff I want to write down here so I don't forget it.  Like how he is filled with joy.  He was in the bath recently, and Hannah started pouring water from a cup . The tube of cascading water looked like a solid column so he tried to grab it.  When it seemed to disappear between his fingers, he was flabbergasted, delighted, amazed.

And here's the best part:  I sat there at the edge of the tub and thought, "That IS pretty incredible!"  For an instant I was genuinely amazed by how water can take so many forms.  Elliot's ability to take me back to that sense of wonder and curiosity is much more powerful than I'd expected.  It's pretty great actually. 

Here's another one: Smiling.  Elliot is great at smiling.  When he's in a good mood he smiles at people full strength, with a gale force, a gigantic thousand-watt smile.  He can charm the most ornery cynical NYC strap-hanger into a grudging chuckle.

And here's the interesting part --- I just recently noticed this --- he smiles at people regardless of whether they are looking back.   As adults we don't really do this.  We may smile honestly, genuinely, when we are truly happy.  But it's almost always AT someone.  When was the last time you put a huge grin on your face when you were alone?

When we adults smile at our loved ones we are, at some level, doing it FOR them, in full knowledge that they will derive pleasure from it.  Elliot doesn't do that.  He smiles purely for himself.  He smiles because he's happy, there's no other reason.