::car dealership::

One sunday a month or two ago Max decided he wanted to play "car dealership". He got out his big ol' box of matchbox/hot wheels cars and went for it.
He's always always loved cars. He's spent so many hours of his life playing with them. I love how engaged he gets.
Anyway.

And this is what he ended up with.
Isn't it amazing looking? We have lots of video with him explaining it and showing how you shop for cars, and having cars shopping for other cars. All sorts of good stuff.

But the biggest challenge is protecting the work of art from the little stinker.

But back then little piglet had just barely learned to crawl and he didn't go too fast. In fact I don't know if he ever even noticed the dealership was there. Our living room is big enough that Max can go back behind a chair and stay out of the line of sight.

So the dealership went on all that day, and it was, of course, super tragic when we finally had to clean it up.

He's such a funny guy, that Max.

::spooky box::

Max came home with a special homework assignment last week. He was supposed to come up with some sort of "spooky box" to display in his classroom during halloween week. It was supposed to be a diorama in a shoebox, using whatever materials he wanted.
So Max and I brainstormed and came up with what I think is a pretty good idea. A spooky ocean box.
We painted our shoebox last night and then this afternoon all three of us worked together to make spooky cranky ocean animals.
Then I glued everything into place.

(Max is working on some other self-directed project here. Suddenly plenty to do when there's homework!!)
Here's the box, I think it turned out super fun looking.

I like the two headed snakes slithering along the ocean floor amid Kris's seaweed.
I'm frightened of this shark--he looks like he would easily bite somebody's leg off. And you can't see the fish he's chasing very well, but that poor fish looks pretty dismayed.

An awesome group of ghostly jellyfish.

Snakes hiding behind the anemones.

Successfully (and definitely oddly) spooky I think. He turns it in tomorrow, I think his teacher will like it! She'd better anyway.

::interest/fascination/obsession::

A while back Max ran across a show called the Zula Patrol on Boston's PBS channel. It's a (poorly in my opinion) computer animated kids show that has a lot of silly stuff that happens, but also communicates a lot of solid info about space and more especially the solar system.

Max fell in love with the solar system. Suddenly he knew the names of all the planets, and the names of lots of moons. He knew the order of the planets and which was hottest, which was farthest from the sun. And some of the time he knew the WHY behind this stuff too. I was impressed.

We got some books from the library and read up even more.

And then some more books.

He's not interested in space ships that much. Not really interested in aliens or astronauts or black holes. Just the solar system. And I think it's both adorable and very fun.

The other day we were out to eat and here's what he created (with Kris) on the placemat.

Earth and an astonaut.

I'm pretty sure the planet and the rocket on the left are Kris's, but the right hand rocket is little Max's.

Saturn, by Max.

Once again I think PBS is great. I wouldn't even know he was interested in this stuff if it wasn't for them. Way to go PBS!

::mama fishes::

(I drew the heart, he drew everything else)
See why I love this boy? Aren't those the cutest fish you've ever seen?

::ode to a walrus::

I made this little walrus:

He's a gift for a small unnamed relative.

Max said he was jealous. He tried to snag the walrus and hide him away so he couldn't be wrapped up and sent.
That didn't work, so he decided to draw some pictures of him instead.
And as usual, they're adorable.


I think I like the last picture more than the real walrus.

::round the horn::

Anybody out there ever watch the show on ESPN called "Round the Horn"?
Kris likes to watch it. There's a host and a bunch of sports writers on video monitors. They talk about current sports issues and events and debate. It's fast moving and silly.
Max decided he loves it too. Especially the sports writer from Denver, Woody Page. He's super silly and on the first episode Max ever watched for some reason somebody dumped about 10 pounds of confetti on Mr. Page and it went into his mouth and everywhere. Max was instantly hooked.

Anyway, this morning when I was getting ready for the day Max came into me with a card he'd drawn. For me. I love the cards he makes for me.
This was a special one--an Around the Horn card.

Max and I are on the left. Then he drew the other guys from the show on the right. I'm glad it's just pretend though, because I don't think Max and I are up to speed on enough sports stats and trivia to survive.

The mysterious part though is that on the left hand side it says (I had to have some help translating the acronyms and mixed up letters)
Do Not go Around the Horn.
So I won't.

It's getting colder around here! We're wearing coats and gearing up for it to get really cold--remembering last winter. Dark long and cold.
I got a new fleece jacket I really love last night and I've already worn it twice.
It really feels like fall when I'm wearing brown corduroy pants. Which I am.
I tried to get a picture of me wearing them, but it's dark and gloomy in the house and our mirror situation is not so good.
So here's a substitute. Me in a corduroy hat instead. My hair was still wet when I took Max to school this morning so the hat got pressed into service, keeping me from freezing.


Alright, now I'm off to pick up Maxles from school and to mail a little birthday package for my october siblings.
Later.

::artwork::

Here's some of my favorite Max art from the last month or so. He doesn't draw a lot, but what he draws is so cool (in my biased opinion).
Here's a rendering of Max and I playing catch. Cute!

This is mama fish:

I love it. She's so cute and chubby. I think there are robots above and below her, but I'm not totally sure.
Guess who?

Sultan of course! I'm told that the triangle shape coming out of the bottom of his face is supposed to be his nose. I'm not sure how that works out exactly, but that's ok. It looks like Sultan to me either way.

This is artwork done on the back of a menu while waiting for pizza. I helped--I think I mostly drew the sun. Aren't Walle and Eve adorable?

This is the scary robot from the Incredibles. He has a head that comes out the top or bottom of his body. Scares me.

Cool cool fireworks. I love this one:


And finally, I have no idea what this little guy is. I just randomly found him on a piece of paper.
But he's adorable. So cute.

And so melancholy.
I love it!

::creations::

I had to take a picture of a couple of Max's cool creations before we moved. They're school projects. They were much too delicate to make it through the move.

They really remind me of this fabulous bit from the muppet show.
The one on the left really reminds me of the little muppet. Something in the attitude I guess.

Cammon better be reading this--he and I used to reinact this in our room when we were little. It was awesome.