Phantom Smiley Faces

Almost every morning after I get out of the shower there is a little boy outside in the hall doing a potty dance, waiting patiently for his turn. I smile, kiss him on the forehead, and go into our bedroom to finish my morning routine. Five minutes later when I return to the bathroom to comb my hair and finish getting ready I'm almost always greeted by artwork on the steamy mirror and windows. They are phantom smiley faces.
When this first started, I thought it was cute--but after several days it got a little annoying trying to get ready for work and apply eyeliner through smeared smudgy mirrors. I wiped them off and almost opened my mouth to put a kabosh on the whole thing. But something made me stop. I pictured myself 20 yrs from now--all the days I would miss of phantom smiley faces to greet me. I realized I would miss that more than I missed having a clear mirror to primp.
It isn't always smiley faces that greet me. Sometimes it's pirates with eyepatches and peg legs--all scrawled in the steam of the mirror and window. Even after the steam dissipates the little oily smudgy outlines of their artwork remains. Today I was greeted by a smiley face with thick eyebrows that seemed to be winking at me. He had a thick, broad nose and jolly fat cheeks. He was smirking--not exactly smiling.
The primary artist of these phantom smileys has gotten his older brother in on the act on several occasions--so that I am greeted with whole magnificient scenes playing out on the bathroom mirror. Usually there is some kind of battle or dramatic event unfolding. Nothing like a shot of testosterone inspired art to jump start your morning.
I've come to appreciate these little pictures. It's a morning greeting. But sadly, I fear the time I will enjoy these is as fleeting as the steam. I know one day they will stop, that Logan will be more interested in primping in the mirror and fixing his thick curly hair than drawing pictures for me. I'm so glad I didn't stop him. I want to enjoy this while it lasts. It's one of those intanglible things no camera can capture--it has to be locked up safely in your memory for another day--and someday I will look back and smile about trying to put my eyeliner on through phantom smiley faces.