November 8, 2003 - Saturday
The computer that I'm writing this on is a notebook that we kept in the living room. I've been using it a lot lately since I've had a little trouble with my desktop and the left mouse keypad broke in half a few days ago. The left side of the pad remains in place and is still usable, but I took the loose right half out trying to see if there were any options for mending or even whether that was worth it. So, there was this little piece of blue plastic sitting on the coffee table.

As a parent of two there really should have been no way I should have left that piece of blue plastic there in plain view, especially after seeing Jeremy pick it up and try to "fix" the computer. But, I did. This morning when I opened the computer, still sitting on the coffee table, and saw the little piece of blue plastic perfectly placed back in its slot, albeit loosely and not affixed to anything, I figured the boys mother probably saw it and, like a good mother of two small boys, realized it shouldn't be just sitting on the coffee table beside the computer and put it in its place. That is: I thought that until late in the morning.

I was working on the computer and Jeremy came over to the coffee table and pointed his figure toward the little piece of blue plastic sitting in its place in the left mouse slot. I immediately reached for his hand and said something parental like, "no, don't touch" or "be careful with the computer." Jeremy, only a little taken aback, persisted. He pointed again and smiled.
"In there," he said.
"Yeah, that goes in there," I answered with artificial parental enthusiasm.
"Ya-a-ah, wen[t] in there," said Jeremy again and it struck me that I might not have the facts right.
"Did you put that back in there?" I asked.
"Yeah," he said, with a nod and tilt of the head.
"Did you fix the computer, Jeremy?"
"Yeah," he said with just a hint of pride. And, I'm pretty sure he did, even though it is a rather awkward operation for me, because a least two more times through the day, Jeremy came over, pointed at the left mouse, and said "goes in there" with a proud smile and a nod.


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