Scribble Machine

When Trevor was 2, Steve and I decided that we would buy him a CD player for Christmas.  I carefully searched for a model that would be durable, easy for him to operate, and light enough that he could carry it around.  I found the perfect one - and it was blue, his favorite color!  I couldn't wait for him to unwrap it.  On the big day, Trevor opened the box with great curiosity.  As he peeked in, Steve took this picture:

Two seconds later, Trevor began screaming.  He was absolutely and totally terrified of what he found in the box.  We couldn't understand what was wrong.  I held him and soothed him and finally he was able to tell us why he was so scared.  He thought we'd bought him a robot. And when he was 2, he was deathly afraid of robots.

I felt like the worst Mommy ever.  If you've never given someone a gift and watched them burst into tears and scream in fright because of that gift, consider yourself lucky.  It never occurred to me that the CD player might look like a robot. 

I'm not sure how it happened, but within a few months, Trevor went from being terrified of robots to extremely interested in them.  We took him to a robot demonstration, then to a robot competition.  By the time he was 4, he was talking about the robots he'd build when he was older.  

Now, at age 6, Trevor is officially "older."  Steve has begun teaching him the basics of robotics.  Here's Trevor's first not-from-a-kit robot.  It's a Scribble Machine.

When Grandma came to visit, I asked Trevor to show her how the robot worked.  I love hearing him explain about it.

I've said it before, but that kid of mine has a bright future.  I couldn't be more proud.

Oh, and the CD player?  He didn't want anything to do with it for a month or so, then slowly became comfortable being in the same room with it.  He (reluctantly) learned how to use it a few months later.  But he hardly ever used it then and still doesn't really use it.  Oh well.