Quick May Update 2013

Whew.  Things have been busy, and there haven't been a lot of posts.  Here's some highlights.

A is really into opera, specifically Enrico Caruso.  He was working on a opera involving a princess who had been switched at birth by her evil uncle and was working on a farm; she goes to the farmer's market, and meets the prince, who is slumming it in the village as a jester.  Love at first site, secret wedding plans, and a sword fight at the end.  There was a lot of focus on the sword fight at the end.  A lot.  And not too many songs... so I'm not entirely sure, but I think the cast staged a revolt and now A is working on a new opera.

A's science project this year is "How do you make records hard to scratch?"  He wanted to see if records dipped in chocolate would be harder to scratch, but his teacher guided him away from that, so he used aluminum foil and plastic wrap instead.

Birthday Eight is coming up soon.  The list of loot has already been created, and seems to include a lot of --ahem-- vintage materials.  A probably would like the electrical arc cigar lighter from a local DIY-Steampunk-Vintage-Antique store...

Oh. Right, and there was an art class over Spring Break.  

Snow Sharks

Someone was being extra mean to his shark. In the snow.

Christmas Is Going To Keep Right on Going...

Scene: the living room.  J is showing A various holiday cards he's designed.

J: "... so do you like this one (moves to next sample)... or this one ?"
A: "I like them all!"
J:  "But which one is your favorite?  Oh, I like this one.  (mutters under his breath)  Have yourself an Illuminati Christmas..."
A:  "J! J!  Why don't you add red dots to that one and make that lady."
J:  "What?"  (Thinking that it would make one of the shadows look like a cow skull).
A:  "You know, that lady who made the child."
J:  "?  The Virgin Mary?"
A:  "Yeah!  (holds out arms monster-style) You could make make her a zombie!"
J:  "A, we can't make a Virgin Mary Zombie Holiday Card (suppresses laughter) It would be disrespectful."
A:  "Why?"
J:  (Trying not to giggle) "Oh, ask M when he gets home."
A:  "Oh! You could dress her up like the Grim Reaper with a scythe and chase everybody."
J:  "A, that would really upset LGL; it's sacrilegious.---"
A:  "J! J! And then -- (Further description of sacrilegious carnage deleted to shorten time in Purgatory....)

NOVA Pays Off..

Scene:  Post-NOVA watching, pre-teeth-brushing snack time.  The anthropologist has annoyed the United States mason by making the mason and a gang of Egyptian stone masons construct a small pyramid using only mud ramps and stick levers.

A (finishing his snack): What are you going to read to me tonight?

J (walking near the bookshelf): I don't know... (various inappropriate titles flash through his mind) maybe...

A:  "Butt-cracks of the Ancient Past!"

J: (turning and failing to keep a straight face) Um...

A:  (laughing too hard to use a serious-dramatic documentary voice) "Butt-cracks of the Ancient Past!"

J: (like a laughing Centurion from Life of Brian):  N-no.

Photo Dump

There haven't been updates lately, but here are some photos.

First Fireworks

Someone's been saving his money. So M decided that it was time to teach him how to light fuses.

Blowing Up a Balloon

A got to help blow up a balloon. He was only slight disappointed when no explosives were involved.