I used to think that "Daddy" was the word for "me", but I recently
found out that it's Simon's word for any guy that is using a power
tool. Every workday Simon runs to the door at 6pm to greet me and
I hear him run down the hallway shouting "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy", and on
a weekend morning it is the same "D" word when I get him from his crib
and take him down to breakfast. I was convinced that this Dad
person was definitely me. However, when at daycare last week the
daycare lady's husband happened to be home mowing the garden.
Apparently Simon went running up to him, gave him a hug and called him
"Daddy". Today, one of the neighbors was out on his riding mower,
and Simon went bounding over to the window shouting "Daddy". I
kindly explained to Simon that his Daddy was in fact sitting with him in
the front room, and not out mowing (that was to happen later) - he gave
me a look as if to say that the guy out there had to be his Dad because
he was doing something really really cool with a machine that goes
brrrrrrrrrr.
I can only hope that Simon realizes that any guy with a tractor, drill,
saw or screwdriver is only "like" Daddy because his Daddy has, and uses
all those cool tools. Otherwise it'll be an interesting childhood for
him.