A master craftsman in the making

I drove Will out to my parents home last night for Christmas Eve. (This is when my family traditionally gets together to celebrate together). I had to run to work, but my father grabbed me before I pulled out of the driveway. He asked me if I could look at the toolbox he was putting together for Will. I did veto a knife an hacksaw, but saw nothing else inappropriate for him. I was a little puzzled by the idea of Will getting the toolbox. I assumed that Will wouldn't like it or be ambivalent about it. I tried to prepare my dad (it was obvious he was excited about this gift an I didn't want him to be too disappointed when he didn't get the reaction he was hoping for.) for a less than thrilled reaction.

Turns out Will had asked for a tool box - he just didn't know he'd be getting it for Christmas. After I got out of work I picked Will up and brought him home. He told me all about Christmas at granny and papas. He was talking a mile a minute...I asked about the tool box, and he told me how cool it was and then said he wished he had asked papa for some scrap wood to go with it to start building his own creations, but that he was excited to be able to help me fix things around the house.

Well, today after we had our Christmas morning I went down to the basement ad grabbed a couple pieces of of wood for him to learn how to hammer a nail. His face lit up. I showed him what to do, with his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth (he was concentrating very hard) he hammered in 3 nails all by himself. Then he wrote his name on the wood and declared it was the new sign for over his bedroom door. So that is where it resides in all it's glory. He turned to me after and said he thinks he might be a master craftsmen by the time he's 12.

This is autism.....but more importantly....this is my son and the light of my life. (No fingers were hurt in the making of this sign)