A lovingly hand-made birthday gift for our big boy!

The heater is turned on to hot in the middle of a sunny winter's day...bedlamps are burning at 12h00 noon...the soup I thought was gently simmering on the stove is bubbling ferociously...the washing machine is the middle of the long cycle - without any clothes... yes, the ArrowBoy has come of age: The Pressing Buttons Age, that is., and not a single switch or latch or handle or button that is within the reach of this tiny tot, is left alone for very long!

So it didn't take much effort to come up with an idea for a birthday gift: it had to have buttons and other super cool things to keep tiny little fingers *legitimately* occupied! I really don't like the so-called interactive busy boards that most toy shops sell, because although they light up spectacularly and make plenty of noise, the child can't see WHY they do. I have said it before: if you want to give a child something that makes a noise, give him a bell. Then he can see where the sound comes from.

A trip to the hardware store for latches and things, and a quick look around the garage for off-cuts of wood, and we were all set. I painted and planned, and the Dad sawed and drilled and glued!

And this is what our darling boy woke up to on this morning of his

first birthday!

A little more detail..

We had tons of fun making this, and as I am typing this, my two little bean sprouts are busily occupied opening latches and fitting the key into those key holes - it is a hit!