Ton of Bits

OK, here's one brought to you by the "Ghost of Destruction Past". Squizzle has been growing like a weed lately and like all one year olds, he likes to grab stuff and hit things. So we got him one of those little hammer and peg sets and Santa brought him a xylophone (what was he thinking?) and a few other toys he could weaponize for battle with his siblings.

He loved the unwrapping part, and he did have a good time with the paper. But unlike the other kids when they were small, he was actually interested in what was in the paper. He grabbed the hammer and started banging away on the pegs. His coordination still isn't that good so he spends a good deal of time missing, but he is in heaven. Watching him play with the toy reminded me of a very funny story.

When my youngest brother was only a little older than Squizzle, he had a similar toy hammer set. He loved that thing and would happily spend all day pushing those wooden pegs from one side of the board to the other. At some point, he began chanting something while he was swinging away. This in itself was very funny, kind of a kindergarten chain gang thing. "Gonna dig me a hole...."

Anyway, after a while, it became clearer what he was saying. He'd hit the peg and then say "Ton of bits". We all figured he was pretending to smash the peg into smithereens.

Then one day, Dad was in the basement doing some home improvement project or other and he hit his thumb with the hammer.

"Son of a...."

And from nowhere, my little brother came tearing into the room with his little toy hammer shouting at the top of his lungs

"Ton of Bits! Ton of Bits! Ton of Bits"

Close to twenty five years later, it's still funny. But I'm watching Squizzle like a hawk. Whatever he says, he didn't hear it from me. Honest, Mom.