Mama has a brand-new tool
As the wife of a man who has virtually every tool ever invented by humankind -- I am truly not exaggerating here; our garage is so full of tools and equipment that there is no room for cars and hardly any room to walk -- you would think I have any kind of tool at my disposal (or at least have the tool-wielding husband at my disposal).Nope. (And don't try to write a sentence like that at home.)
Flyaby has sooo many toys that require batteries. And toy companies enjoy tweaking parents by hiding the battery compartments behind plastic doors that are screwed shut. In order to change the batteries, you need a screwdriver (usually a Philips head) to open it up just to change the batteries. But when your husband hoards tools, and is never around when batteries decide to die, what's a mama to do?
I bought myself -- gulp -- my first tool, my own tool, a screwdriver.
Not just any screwdriver. This has a nifty wheel around it that holds several different kinds of heads, so it's like having five different screwdrivers. I am ready for anything that needs to be opened or shut! I could, in theory, put things together! I could build something! I could set up the flat-panel LCD HDTV 5 Minutes for Mom is giving away from Best Buy!
Even though all I really want to do is change batteries in Fly's toys, I am enjoying being the owner and user of a screwdriver. This simple little pleasure is especially sweet because I haven't told JP about my new-found battery-changing freedom. I have hidden my screwdriver from him. Mostly, I'm afraid he will snag it for himself and toss it in among his other tools, where it will be lost among so many other tools in that great tool abyss known as our garage. No, I think my little tool will remain hidden, with Flybaby's best interests at heart.
Sometimes, keeping a secret from your husband can be a good thing.
And if my son grows up seeing his mama putting things together with her own tool, that's a good thing, too.
Labels: Damselfly chronicles, everyday life, toys
posted by Damselfly at 10:09 PM
15 Comments:
Haha I know that feeling. I have my own leatherman that I have hidden from kids and my husband.
You rock, Rosie! Good for you. And I love that you're thinking about Fly watching you with the screwdriver. Such an important thing for a little boy to see his daddy isn't the only one who's handy.
I finally convinced my husband to keep the screwdrivers IN THE HOUSE, so that I could actually find them. His shed? Well, it sounds like your garage. To make it even more daunting, he collects antique tools. So those are in there mingling with the modern ones. Very confusing.
Congrats on the purchase!
I have bypassed the screwdriver -- I pulled out my husband's drill one day -- and let me tell you -- it rocks!!
Stumbled here, from The Wink.
Hide it!!!
I have a tape measurer that is in the hall closet that is to be removed under penalty of death!!
I just bought a package of colored Sharpies and told my husband not to even think of using one.
One of my daughter's favorite toys is her workbench. Gotta teach these girls to be self-sufficient!
I got myself a mini cordless screwdriver just for those pesky hidden toy battery compartments!
I have the same screwdriver with the little wheel of options around it. It's part of my cute little girly tool bag that my aunt gave me when I first got my own apartment. It's come in handy and lasted me all these years. Hope you have as much good tool time with yours as I've had with mine... yeah.
So funny! So, did you get a pink one, or what?
My FIL is a manager for MAC tools. I have all the tools I could imagine!
You can add the hammer and screw driver my parents bought for me in college because I can't say I've ever used them. Oh, and did I mention they are PINK? :-)
One of my good friends gave me a "Ladies Tool Set" as a bridal shower gift. My husband can use stuff from it, but he knows that it must be returned to the case under penalty of death. Often, my tools are the only ones we can find when we need them. Yeah, they're pink. I have to say that this is one of the most useful bridal shower gifts I received though.
I love it! Those battery compartments are a challenge without the screwdriver. Protect your treasure! :)
My husband has lots of nice tools and I have my own set in the house for the same reasons. And what is with all the batteries? My husband and I were amazed how many we needed when we had our first child. It was ridiculous. And everything wants different size batteries so you it's not enough to just stock up on one size. We finally invested in rechargeable batteries and it was one of the best ideas we ever had. We've saved so much money after two kids. Seriously.
OOH...where'd you hide it??!! Maybe you can set it up as a geocache, giving the GPS coordinates and a nifty hint like "the bird is in the nest" LOL!
Owning your own tools can be liberating, empowering and dangerous. On the one side, you don't need to be in bondage or at the mercy of "the tool guy". On an another, it gives one a sense of accomplishment and you can pat yourself on the back for adding another skill set to your already long list of skills - but beware, once "the tool guy" finds out you have the ability to fix things on your own - you suddenly become the owner of each project that can be accomplished with said skill set. My Aunt Mary, a very wise woman once told me, "honey, never let them know you can swing a hammer or use a screwdriver 'cause it's all downhill from there" and you know what - - she was right. She also told me that as long as you keep your floors clean, the whole room looks clean and she was right about that one too - except for my living room, it's so darned small that if one thing is out of place, it looks like WW3 took place in there.
BTW, i noticed you are a published book author, what was the title? i'd like to read it.. (forgive my improper spelling, it's late and i'm tired and don't feel like hunting for the shift key on my laptop..)
take care,
briggie ^i^ (oops, i shifted.hehehe)
www.jehovahroi.wordpress.com
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