Re: Raising Them Right

[jeffrey.weiss@domain.elided]

> "Then after *we* get the money, what do we buy with
> it?" I [Scott Fisher] asked him.
> 
> "Car parts," he [Charlie] said, without hesitation.
> 
> "That's right, and what else?"
> 
> "Tools!" he said, warming up to the concept.
> 
> "Yep, and anything else?"
> 
> "Motor things," he said.
> 
> It's moments like this that make a father's heart
> swell with pride.

People wonder why Jamie (now 2-1/2 years old) is so well versed around the
engine compartment of my Spider.  The reason is simple; for almost a year
now, he's been pointing to things and asking "what's this?"  He asks, I
tell him, and he remembers.  So, when he points to the yellow things in the
front that go around (sometimes), he says "fans."  When he points to the 
other thing that goes around (all the time) at the front of the engine, he
says "valve advance."  Of course, he gets confused, sometimes, looking for
the valve advance on other cars, but he handles it well.

It's nice to not have to make up cutsey names for everything since he seems
to pick up on words very well.  This helps a lot as I'm not so creative, and
there's a lot of parts to be named.  My memory isn't quite what his is, so
I'd have a very hard time remembering made-up names for everything.  I am
both proud and thankful that he spares me the need to do that.  One car-
related exception is the tachometer, which he likes to call the "vroom vroom
meter" - and I feel no need to correct him.
--
jw

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