Opa Can't Fix Everything

My Grandson is a small but barely controlled whirlwind and as you know whirlwinds are hard on the world around them. Kieran is small enough that trailer parks are still safe but toys, aren't.

One of my roles in his life is to fix broken toys and make things for him. (he sleeps in a crib that I made for him) At 16 months Kieran's vocabulary is limited but the message is clear when he comes to me holding wheels in one hand and car in the other saying, "Opa, Opa." He usually then goes to the door that leads down to the work shop and we take the damaged toy or toys down stairs and put them on the bench.

I then explain that Opa and his helper Elves will fix the toy overnight and it will be waiting for him in the morning. So far I have been able to deliver on that promise 100% of the time. Lets face it being Opa/Santa is a serious blast.

This morning however I am sitting in a coffee shop writing on my netbook because Opa can't fix everything. I am waiting on the garage to change the oil etc. etc. etc. on the family car. I suppose I could do the oil change, I do it on my motorcycle, but I'm not even remotely interested in working the car. I have never been interested in fixing cars, the only machanic's tool I owed for years was the small plastic card shaped tool.

That being said, we have a great local garage that does super work for reasonable money and I trust them totally. Why mess with a winning combination??

One day Kieran will learn that Opa can't fix everything and there are lots of things he doesn't even want to fix. But... the basement Elves and I are committed to fixing the boy's toys for as long as we can.