Freeze-Frame: Strong Man

For the past month or so, Tadhg has been helping Rundy take the trash out on Tuesday nights. This involves lots of straining muscles and self-important looks as he shoulders his share of the load. I was standing on the porch with Pippin last week watching The Big Men carry full trash cans down to the bottom of the driveway. Rundy held one side, Tadhg the other.

Tadhg glanced at me on the way down the driveway, then away again.

"Strong man," he said. "Me pow'ful."

Not twenty minutes later, Mr. Strong Man was watching Daddy prepping to get the lawnmower started for the season. After waiting for the battery to charge, he was full of anticipation. He had already claimed that it was "his turn" to drive it. Pippin and I stood nearby and watched as Rundy completed the final touches. With a turn of the key, the engine revved to [extremely loud] life. Tadhg started shaking convulsively, backing away and screaming as though he was in his death throes. (Although he is obsessed with machines, he has an aversion to them when they're right next to him making terrifying noises.) I picked him up and talked to him and gave him comfort until he eventually became merely tremulous rather than terrified. 

Later that night before bed, I overheard Tadhg processing the whole traumatizing event with Rundy in the other room. 

"Mommy saved me," he confessed.

Even strong, powerful men need saving sometimes.