12/2/15 The Pencil is Mightier Than . . .

     The other day Peter grabbed a pencil and shoved it backwards into our nice pencil sharpener. The metal end got stuck and just like that our fairly new tool for sharpening pencils had come to an end. Or had it? Tonight Heidi found the since idle sharpener when we were cleaning up from dinner. She asked me to take a crack at fixing It. I first had to find 2 screws hidden under soft stickers. Then 3 more from the inside and pop of the front plate. At this point I began to worry if I'd ever get it reassembled and fuctioning again. It proved to be a three handed job using needle nose plyers and a screw driver to get the, now slightly more accessible, pencil top out of the sharpener. I learned that I could not reassemble the device in the reverse order that it came apart. With some trial and error I got it back together (with only one extra part). Then, drum roll please, it worked! The kids were not as surprised as I was. With four kids in elementary school we go through a lot of pencils. Heidi was very grateful to have it back online. I am grateful to Heavenly Father that it did not break in my hands and I did not have to buy another new one. Tender Mercies.