He's A Boy

Aaron and I had some time alone this afternoon. Hannah was at a birthday party and Rachel was at a friend's house.

As we were running errands, we drove past a Home Depot. This is the conversation that took place.

Aaron: Hmmm. There's a Home Depot. I need to go in there some time.

Me: Why? What do you need from Home Depot.

Aaron: I need to get a pick ax.

Me: (Trying not to giggle and thinking I didn't even know he knew what a pick ax was.) Why do you need a pick ax?

Aaron: Well, I could do stuff with it. It is like the pocket knife. I just feel like I need one.

He put a pocket knife on his Christmas list this year. I had mentioned it to P.K. and he told me this is the year that Aaron will actually use it in Boy Scouts. I am not against him having a pocket knife. I grew up around men who probably got their first pocketknives about the time they learned to walk. I just didn't know what he would do with it. After our conversation this afternoon, I realized it must be a boy thing. Just like I have the desire to buy more shoes (I do resist. I did not buy any new shoes this fall or winter. I really want a new pair of black boots, but I can't justify it. I totally digress), he has a desire to own gadgety things that men may need.

Last weekend I was at a dollar store where everything is actually a dollar. He saw a toy gun and I think he was practically salivating over it. It was a dollar so he got it. He has played with it every day since. It came with little arrows with the suction cups on the end and Aaron has loved finding other things that will fit in the hole and fire from the gun. Nice.

He has other toy guns, so this was really nothing new. However, the day he first got it, I came out of my room and he was standing in the hallway. I really didn't acknowledge him until he said in a very matter of fact way, "I have a gun." The way he said it was like he was telling me he had finished his homework or he was going to go play. It was like he just felt the need to express his manhood by telling me he had a gun. Too funny.