My Tiny Tool Man

I knew men love tools and their ability to fix things, but I didn't think that fascination started so early in life.

My 2-year-old son has recently begun to seriously play with a toy workbench he received about a year ago. He loves to spend time hammering pegs, sawing toys and turning over his lawnmower to "fix" the engine.

It's fun to watch the wheels in his head turning as he pretends to work hard like the men he has recently seen repairing roadways, mowing lawns and erecting his swing set.

The other day, during a rare moment when I felt the need to put makeup on before I left the house, I let Hendrick run wild for a few minutes while I colored my face. Being the clever boy that he is, Hendrick took full advantage of this opportunity.

He pulled the toilet paper roll as far as he could stretch it. Then he did it again. He proceeded to pull the metal holder, piece by piece, off the wall. He must have realized that I wasn't going to be pleased when I looked away from the mirror because he ran into the playroom and came back with a hammer. He banged away on the stump screwed to the wall for a few minutes as if that would make things better.

Our eyes met a moment later, after I surveyed the damage.

He wasn't worried, though. He knew how to fix this mess:

"I need a wrench."