The Tool Man Cometh

At a very critical time in my young son's life, our house was full of construction workers.  These workers carried around hammers, drills, nail guns, and saws.  They had every kind of tool imaginable.  J.D. was fascinated by these men and their vast collection of machines instantly.  This happened, I believe, at a moment in his development when he could have leaned in just about any "boy toy" direction.  He could have gotten into trains, planes, trucks, cars, blocks, army men, the list goes on.  But since he saw men in his house every day for five months (a lifetime in the life of a budding toddler), a love for tools was born, and boy did it stick.  

During the five months or so of the kitchen remodel, one could easily find J.D. standing a safe distance away watching the men working.  He would usually have his little orange handled hammer in hand, waiting for a look, a word of encouragement from one of the men.  Since the men didn't speak his language (they spoke Spanish and English and J.D. spoke, well "James-ish," which is incomprehensible to most other humans), an approach was never made to include him in their work.  That is, until Luke came to work at our house.  

J.D. had absolutely no qualms about standing right next to Luke, watching his every move.  After all of those hours watching Luke, while Luke patiently allowed J.D. into the inner sanctum of the construction world, I truly believe J.D. can now do his share of tightening screws around the house.  

Anyway, very long story short, J.D. received a pile of tools for his birthday.  Danny got him an authentic tool box, and filled it with real tools that couldn't do any real damage.  Tools like a rubber mallet, a drill with no bits, and various other items, but they were the real deal.

J.D. screamed with delight when he saw the tools.  He did a happy dance.  Then he went crazy searching through the treasures in his new tool box.  After that, he really didn't care about the other gifts....at all.  

Is this a picture of pure joy, or what?!

The boy could not stop smiling.  

Then the smiling turned into maniacal laughter.  The kind of laughter from a villain about to take over the world.  Wooohooooohooohahahahahaha!  

He and his partner in crime, Cubby, shared a moment of pure bliss while sorting through the tools.  "She gets me," he seemed to be saying.

From this day forward, J.D. wakes up and immediately repeats the same three words over and over and over again.  He always asks for daddy when he wakes up, that's a given.  Now, however, he also asks for his "ma-moh," his hammer, and his "too-uh," his tools.  The boy want his dad, his hammer, and his tools.  Well, I think those are some pretty healthy requests for a little two year old boy.  Happy Birthday little tool man!