Janis & I decided the perfect gift for Henry’s fourth birthday would be a trip to the tool store. We set a budget and today was finally the day Henry and I went to town. He knew what was up and was very excited! As we approached the tool isle Henry was like a typical kid in a candy store. There were so many tools! As we picked out Henry’s shiny new tools he got more excited with every pick. I gently nudged him away from the sharp tools and made suggestions as best I could without dampening the moment. His first choice was a new hammer, then a socket set, followed by a level, a small pry bar, a square, three various sized clamps and a brightly coloured tape measure. Henry quickly got into the swing of a shopping spree and it was a little tough to slow things down as we neared and then blew past the stated budget. As I coaxed him out of the tool isle with the armload of tools he added a flashlight for good measure. By the time we got to the checkout Henry was literally dancing, finding it hard to believe his good fortune. He loudly explained to the cashier what each tool was for and how he was building a robot back at the shop. We got lots of envious looks and smiles as we paid for the tools and packed them out to the car. These presents would never be wrapped. All the way home Henry was excited about the robot he could now build with ease, using his new tools. And as soon as the tools were unpacked and put into Henry’s tool drawer we took some out and set to work. Henry directed the progress on the robot, allowing grampa to only help when absolutely necessary. Henry says the robot is already half done. We’ll be back at it very soon!
