Fence Building
Greetings to all you Xavier fans!
We tore down a sagging fence in July and have over the course of several weekends built a sturdier one in its place. Xavier has been a part of this from tearing it down to digging holes and setting 4x4s to nailing up pickets.
His Grandpa Danny gave him a pair of leather gloves two years ago in his Christmas stocking. This year Xavier finally grew into them (though he has worn them on and off these past two years). These he wore most of the time we handled the lumber.
While Dad used his four foot level and pneumatic nailer, Xavier used his Home Depot toy level and toy hammer. He even used the drill his Aunt Kathy gave him this past Christmas. (that night, after cleaning up, we had to build a nailer and an air compressor out of Tinker Toys).
Indeed, he did help out quite a bit. He was not in the way most of the time, and he assisted in needed ways at times.
At a recent birthday party, themed as a mad scientist party, Xavier obtained a pair of safety glasses (though I do not think they are OSHA certified). Now he could wear his own glasses just like Daddy.
He no longer had to stand "way over there" and watch while the nailer was chugging along the fence pickets, or watch from a distance when the compound miter saw cut pickets to length.
At one point as we worked on shaving down the gate after it swelled from a recent downpour, I asked him to move out of the way (I needed to open the gate and he was blocking me from doing that).
"I don't need to go over there anymore, Daddy," he informed me. "I'm wearing my safety glasses."
I tried to explain the glasses might protect his eyes, but not his face if the opening gate smashed into it. I do not think he understood.