I’m not exactly the handiest guy around the house. I mean, sure, I’m as tempted by do-it-yourself projects as the next guy. It’s just that I’m not very good at them. This is one area of life, by the way, where having a couple of inquisitive toddlers around puts you at a significant disadvantage.

For example, I noticed a tear in the fabric covering one of the kids’ chairs the other day.  Since both boys were there when I saw it, I pointed it out to them, saying “hey guys, we have to be careful with this. It’s starting to rip.”

C’s immediate reaction, of course, was to ask why.

“Because I can’t fix that,” I said. “I don’t know how.”

He smiled “It’s easy, daddy. You just have to screw it.”

“No. That needs sewing, and I don’t even think that would help. Look. It split along the seam.”

“No. You just have to screw it. Should I show you how? You just have to screw it.”

I couldn’t help it. I started to laugh. “No, I think I need to hammer it. Not screw it. What do you think?”

He was very serious. “Umm…No. I think you need to screw it.”

I have the strangest feeling this whole little surreal conversation is going to come back to bite me at some point.