I feel proud these days when my son asks curious questions.

Sure, we're wanted to pull out our hair when he was a toddler and learned how to talk. Then, he just asked and asked and asked but didn't really seem to care about the answer.

It's different now. I love to see the sparkle of awareness of learning something he believes no one has ever asked. And now he's the sole owner of that information.

We recently returned from vacation in Mexico where we cautioned him about the drinking water and milk.

We didn't want to sacrifice a vacation day for extra time stuck in the bathroom while in another country.

He was very good at brushing his teeth with bottled water. And whenever we went out to eat, he asked the server if the milk was pasteurized. If it wasn't, he asked for a bottle of milk. We explained to him the reasons for asking and how the process can kill harmful bacteria and prevent diseases.

One our way home, we had a 3-hour layover in Houston so we stopped at Chili's in the terminal.

The server asked us what we wanted to drink. My son asked him if the white milk was pasteurized.

Unknowingly, my son had stunned the man. Admittedly, the server told us he's never been asked that question.

My wife and I thought it was hilarious. My son didn't get it until he realized that we were no longer in Mexico.

I have a feeling he might be asking his Grandmothers that very question just to keep them on their toes.