Right now the boys are obsessed with motors. All things motors, and everything seems to have a motor. Even Owen has a motor – ‘papi, watch me, my motor’ and he points to his bum and makes a motor noise and takes off running. Going a step further, they are obsessed with the lawn mower, the car motor, the weedeater and the chain saw. Every day they want to see the motors in both cars. ‘papi – white car motor?’ I hear when I get back from work. ‘Don’t touch it – it’s hooooot! [sounds like huuuuut]’ I pick them up (all 70+ pounds together) and show them the motor. They can both consistently point to the “motor”, the “air filter” and the “battery”…not that they have any idea what any of those are, but they can do it!. And they can point to the muffler on the cars, on the weedeater and the chainsaw.
I could easily be one of the people to who says “well, they’re boys, of course they love motors!”, and wouldn’t that be so easy. Maybe there is some predisposition to liking motors. But I seriously doubt that embedded in the psyche are the instructions for “locate battery in 2004 Acura and 2000 Volvo, note that they are both next to air-filter, but not the air-filter”. Or that they come pre-programmed with “Make really loud motor noises when looking at machinery – oh and by the way – that’s a piece of machinery.
They might come pre-programmed with things like: “Papi looks at motors, I love my papi and am interested in what he’s interested in. He talks about cars and trucks and lawn mowers all the time, it must be interesting. I’m hardly a developmental psychologist, but I assume that it’s true that I am having a strong influence on them in a wide variety of things that they do – related to motors and otherwise.
Which of course for me begs the question: Will boys be boys? I know we are trying really hard to make them boys (it appears it’s working based on the picture below). But I really really really want them to be good boys. Nice and respectful, thoughtful, generous and super confident boys. That might be harder to accomplish than interesting them in all things motors.
But maybe when I catch Kyle looking in the mirror with his skull cap on dancing and singing “I’m gonna catch you” by Laurie Berkner, it might be working. Or when Owen gives me and Heather a kiss before we leave for daycare we’re on the right track. Or when they offer their lollipop to someone, or when when Kyle gives Owen his lovey lion when Owen is crying – maybe so.
I got this photo this morning from my phone – that’s Kyle bombing down the drive way on the ‘blue’ truck (that also apparently has a motor) and Owen patiently waiting his turn.