What started for me as a routine household chore—using a pair of long-tip needle-nose pliers to extract a penguin from the kitchen sink garbage disposal—became the beginning for Ethan of an enduring childhood duty as the husband’s apprentice: holding the flashlight.
Ethan had no idea what he was stepping into; he just wanted to see what I was shining the flashlight on. But once he had pushed over a dining room chair and was standing right next to me, why not take advantage of the available steady hand? The result: Ethan had the satisfaction of knowing he played a part in keeping his Playmobil Penguin Zoo a complete, mangle-free unit.