Dewdiver, dewdiver, dewdiver

AJ's obsession with tools continues. As I told Joe the other night when he got home from work, I am not exaggerating when I say that AJ talks about tools 11 out of the 12 hours that he is awake during the day. We read about tools, play with tools, and (most importantly) he must be clutching tools in both hands all day long. I finally negotiated with him to put some of his tools on his dresser during naptime and only take two to bed with him. When I go into his room in the morning to get him out of his crib, he says "Hi, mama! Dewdiver?" Dewdiver is his pronunciation of screwdriver, so he is basically saying "Good morning, where is my screwdriver?" He has also been heard wandering around the house muttering to himself "dewdiver, dewdiver, dewdiver" as in "where in the heck did I leave that darn screwdriver?!"

This obsession has become somewhat dangerous for David for two reasons. First, AJ loves to turn things over to "fix" them and has attempted to flip the bouncy seat over with David in it to tighten up the screws. I had to explain to him that he cannot "fix" an occupied seat. Second, AJ today decided that he wanted to "share" his tools with David and was insistently pushing a hammer into David's hand and then when David did not grab it, pushed it insistently into David's tummy, as if to say "what are you, slow? take it! it's a tool!" More explaining from mom on why babies can't hold tools.

If you want to be remembered and loved by AJ, just come to our house once and work on a "pah-ject" (project) with him using tools. He will talk about you endlessly for weeks and months to come after you are long gone. We had a window treatment installer come a month ago to install several curtain rods, and AJ still talks about Doug daily. "Doug! Cu-tin wod! (Curtain rod) Tools! Drill! BIIIG Drill! Dews! (screws) Tep-tool! (stepstool)" and on and on.

I can't remember how it got started, but one of us let AJ sit on our lap at the computer while did an image search in Google for tools, and this is now one of AJ's favorite pasttimes. If I dare to log onto the computer, he hears the tapping of the keys and comes running while shouting "tools! 'puter! tools!" He loves it when I print out the pictures for him and will carry them around the house for days. Here is a link to his favorite picture, which almost caused AJ to have a stroke when he saw it.

The other day AJ's Chicago grandma and I took AJ to the Chicago History Museum. They have a huge real steam engine and a replica of an elevated ("el") train car, which are probably the highlight for most little boys his age. AJ, on the other hand, was most excited about the two union electricians who he spotted in a side hallway working to replace a lightbulb. "Tools! Guys! Tools! Ladder! Dill! (drill)" he shouted as he nearly tripped over himself to get closer. The guys thought it was cute that a little boy had such an interest in what they did. They also thought it was a real coincidence that AJ was wearing a shirt with tools on it and was clutching in his hands his own drill and hammer. I was thinking in my own head that it's not really a coincidence when he takes them everywhere with him, more a matter of time until he finds someone, somewhere using tools.

Here are two of our favorite tool pictures--AJ working at his new tool bench (complete with a drill press and a saw that make a *lot* of noise), and AJ and dada doing a "pah-ject" to replace a "lie-bub" (lightbulb).