Monday, February 28, 2011

The Neither Itsy Nor Bitsy Spider

Well, winter break is over...back to the grind.  This also means Oscar's extensive birthday celebration has come to a close, sigh.  We had some laughs for sure...like tarantula racing.  Yep, Oscar has a new obsession with eight legs.  It's a supremely cool animal, no doubt.  What began as an awesome birthday gift from his friend spun into several more arachnid-focused items including books and accessories for aforementioned toy.  I regaled Oscar with stories of a former boyfriend's pet named Bella and we watched a documentary on the giants of Mexico.  So this morning an homage to our hairy friend by request of course, followed by four and a half minutes of begging for a tarantula pet of his own.  "Um, Oscar...I don't think the guinea pig is down."  Oscar is puzzled.  "I'm sure Saturday would love to have a friend."  So I guess he didn't absorb the feeding bits we watched in the documentary on Netflix?  Thank goodness for youtube...I can nip this right quick before school.  Happy Monday ;)  xoxo

Friday, February 18, 2011

Muskrat Lovin' Taxidermy

Oscar is fascinated with the natural world...the apple doesn't fall far.  One thing he really digs is bones (ha!  no pun intended for real).  Anyway, we have several specimens either found on our own - unidentified treasures from the deep we've collected on beaches - or the kind we purchase at our favorite shop in Soho, Evolution.  Last visit a couple of weeks ago Oscar wanted a muskrat skull, pictured here to the best of my humble abilities.  I decided to "jazz it up" by adding some desert-y stuff (see cactus) and making that whistling sound that accompanies tumbleweeds in these depictions.  Oscar was mildly amused.  Then he took my model - he just refers to him as "the head" - and proceeds to parade it around the house perched on his index finger.  Aw, taxidermy finger puppets!  Maybe there is a market for this, eh?  Happy Friday - have a super weekend!  xoxo

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Up, up & away

Assuming this is a boy thing - and 6 years old is about the right time for it to kick it.  Oscar requested an airplane this morning.  Seems harmless and kind of easy.  Not so fast - he wants an airplane with smoke & flames careening through the sky.  Um, a bit disturbing.  But put into context with, let's say WWII illustrations of fighter planes, it's not a troubling idea.  I show him a picture of a Soviet plane that I googled..."Yes!  Just like that."  Phew.  Of course, now I am wondering where he saw an image similar to this.  I am not a war movie buff and can't recall taking Oscar to any photography exhibits where he'd get such an idea.  Oh well - chalking it up to all of those other behaviors that seem to seep in via osmosis as part of childhood development or some genetic imprinting phenomenon.  Happy Thursday!  xoxo

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

I am the...Batman

February is chock full of events and holidays.  This week alone entails two holidays and a birthday (Oscar's), so there has been plenty of fun filled activity.  Yet...Oscar wakes this morning with his all time favorite day on his mind - Halloween.  "How long until Halloween?"  "About 8 months pumpkin."  "How many days?"  "256."  (do not be impressed - I had to look this up)  "Can you draw something for Halloween on my snack bag?"  Hmmm...I have spring on my mind and was thinking I would go with something a little lighter, but hey.  "How about I draw Batman since that's who you are going to be?"  "YEEEESSSSS!"  Super.  And yep, we have this already decided for next year.  Oscar is Batman, I am Catwoman, there are friends involved that will fill in the landscape with colorful villains, perhaps an ally or two.  This was decided upon on November 1st - we don't waste time in planning around here.  No blooming trees, but today is starting out ok. This will sustain my ongoing quest-for-Bruce-Wayne fantasy all day, and Oscar will chat up his classmates about the next great holiday - only 256 days to go!  Happy Wednesday!  xoxo

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Lucky Duckbill

I can always count on show & tell to influence the morning musing.  The letter 'D'...give you one guess what an (almost) 6 year old boy would want.  If you said dinosaur, you are spot on.  Seriously, I get asked to draw dinosaurs on a regular basis, so this is not a surprise.  What impresses me is the extent of species awareness Oscar has, coupled with his knack for nailing one with the appropriate letter.  He asked for a duckbill this morning.  Another 'D' alright...logical enough.  The only trick is, this particular dinosaur has many iterations.  I have no idea which one Oscar has in mind.  "How's this?"  I ask Oscar.  "I like it mama, but he looks too happy!"  I look at the doodle - he does have a goofy smile I guess.  "He's in a super moodIs there anything wrong with that?"  And there it is...Oscar has no response and we will not be late for the B70.  Happy Tuesday xoxo

Monday, February 14, 2011

Riding off into the sunset...

We are not traditional here, as you may have already figured out.  Today is Valentine's Day, and in a previous post I gave the perfunctory nod to obvious symbols of the consumer driven holiday event.  So today, knowing my young child is excited that there is another day to celebrate (insert images of candy & cartoon character cards here) with his classmates, I am pleased he leaves the doodle to me.  I am lucky - Oscar is very figurative in his thinking.  He simply asks for me to draw "something romantic."  Not really sure where he has picked up this word...thinking not a part of the Hanna Barbera vernacular.  Maybe it was Ghostbusters 2?  Either way, my mind leaps to a singular image from my childhood - the seahorse.  I have always been drawn to the sea - when I was a kid, I wanted to be Jacques Cousteau (the girl version of course).  I didn't have any princess fantasies.  I wanted to ride on the back of a seahorse and explore the shimmering depths of the ocean.  They were mythical...so filled with magic & mystery surely they couldn't be actual creatures.  After all of these years, I still have this dreamlike feeling when I see a seahorse.  I imagine it carrying me off into the horizon with the promise of discovery.  Oscar looks at my drawing.  "I like it mama."  "Yeah?  Is it romantic to you?"  "I don't know,"  he says.  "I don't know what 'romantic' is.  Is it sea stuff?"   Wow...why not just explain where babies come from while I'm here?  So I do, kind of.  "Hey, you know daddy seahorses have the babies in their bellies like human mommies do?"  "I remember we learned that at the aquarium!"  Yep, diversion is the parent's wild card alright.  Use it as needed my friends.  Have an awesome Monday xoxo

Friday, February 11, 2011

Ahoy Me Hearties

In other words, good day my friends.  Yep, we're feeling pretty piraty today...and hey, it's Friday.  Swashbuckling fun is totally allowed - I highly recommend it is adopted by all.  Conversation this morning went something like this:  "Can you draw a skull & crossbones?"  Sure, I say.  "But you know Oscar, that means poison if left on its own.  I'm thinking labeling your snack this way is not a great idea."  "Then don't give me blueberry muffins."  What?  (Oscar really doesn't like these, yet I refuse to ignore them in the cabinet...apparently they are poisonous)  "Uh, how about I draw a pirate ship?"  I'm sure you can envision the delighted look on his face.  I mean pirates - who wouldn't be happy with this?  I get busy...and voila.  One pirate ship.  "Is it a ghost pirate ship?  If it is it needs holes in it.  And some ghosts."  I think we need to settle for garden variety pirates today, I tell him.  We're running a bit behind schedule.  He's cool with this, as long as I promise to make good on it another day, and if I speak only in pirate lingo until we get to school.  Blimey, I say.  Happy weekend xoxo

Thursday, February 10, 2011

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Let's call it early - cosmic day - and rejoice! Seems the work we did over a week ago building the solar system mobile has finally inspired the request, and really, feels right.  Oscar & I both like to operate with our heads pointing upward, and since he has recently discovered animals (not just the human variety) have traveled in space, he is all over it.  "Chimps in space?  And dogs?"  Ok, I get why this is interesting - suddenly this seems more like lifestyle than a grown up career choice.  More amusing is watching Oscar wrap his mind around what he knows about the outer limits & connecting it with a veritable zoo zipping around in a rocket ship.  Zero gravity + dogs = hilarious.  Naturally, he is anxious to know when we can embark on such a journey.  "Just may be something we can do someday" I respond.  "How about for summer vacation?"  "I really just had some beach weeks planned for us this year...maybe next summer."  Keeping this dream alive today & for as long as he wants it.  Happy Thursday :)  xoxo

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Love is in the air...

While not a fan of Valentine's Day personally, the kids seem to like it, including mine.  Oscar has been lavishing me with pink & red heart-shaped cards all week long in preparation for the holiday.  This morning as he enters consciousness via gulping down the requisite chocolate milk, I ask what he'd like on the bag.  "Draw love."  Love, eh? "Oscar, a little heavy for a chilly Wednesday morning don't you think?  How about I draw a spider?"  He looks puzzled.  "Draw something with love mama.  You know, those cupids or something."  So many things are going through my mind at the moment...truthfully I would love to go full blown expression on this very topic.  But then there are the considerations:  1.  limited time  2. limited skill  3. multiple concepts  4. G-rated audience.  Yeah, better keep it simple.  Couple of doves & a big 'ole heart should do it.  Have a tender & affectionate day  ;) xoxo

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Ghoulish Fun, Brought to You by the Letter "H"

For those who know, Halloween is pretty much a year round past time here.  We never tire of bats & spiders, mummies & zombies...lots of weekend playtime is spent landscaping the cemetery that sits alongside Oscar's haunted house.  Not surprising that he has asked for yet another variation of this for the a.m. doodle.  Ah, but this is not just more good times a la the macabre.  Nope, we have an agenda today - a spelling agenda.  You see, show & tell this week is about the letter "H".  Oscar is taking his skeleton model of a hand in for the class to see - he can talk about all of the 27 bones within one of our most valuable body parts.  But for the drawing, a simple hand drawing wouldn't do.  I'm kind of relieved.  He would have required a realistic skeleton...tiny wrist and finger bones.  My sharpie's point is not fine enough.  Instead he opted for double trouble - he sounds it out with extra-phonetic emphasis to ensure I am clear there are not 1, but 2 H's involved here.  "A Haunted House mama - 2 H's!"  Yes, I understand.  And I am proud.  School is awesome, especially when you've got some sweet ghouls to assist in the learning process.  Have a super Tuesday :)  xoxo

Monday, February 7, 2011

A Monster & A Lady

I guess I can't complain about the Scooby-Doo infatuation.  It could be much worse...I mean, what if Oscar was really digging a super lame kids series like Caillou or (gasp) Veggie Tales.  If I am offending anyone here - specifically their children - I sincerely apologize.  But let's face it, when your kid likes the same stuff you do, it's an incredible benefit.  In this case, I never had the SD addiction like Oscar seems to, but the show is pretty rad.  The weekend vid of choice was Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster.  Who knew Daphne is a decedent of the Blake's of Loch Ness?  I guess mystery is in her blood.  This morning Oscar was fairly decisive - draw 'Nessie.'  We've become pretty familiar with this particular monster - Oscar has declared this is the only "girl" monster he likes.  I am not sure if Nessie is actually female, but the Scots seem to refer to this creature in feminine pronoun almost exclusively.  Hmmm...  Oscar also admits this is the only girl monster he knows.  "Hey, what about Bride of Frankenstein?  She lives in the haunted house, see?"  I bring out BOF from the house (she was tucked away on the forensic chalk outline next to Frankenstein)  "Oh yeah, but she's not really a monster...she's a lady.  She's kind of pretty."  Ok!  Hey, Frankenstein likes her...everyone is beautiful in their own way.   Happy Monday xoxo

Friday, February 4, 2011

Robot Hall of Fame?

Haha...no. Joining the ranks of Hal, C3PO, Astro Boy - those are pipe dreams my friends.  The best I can hope for is some old skool props with the request today.  However, it was pretty awesome that Oscar was inspired by his bed sheets this morning.  So much so that it took little debate in that adorable little head for him to come to a decision.  As mentioned in previous musings, this is often the morning time eater...the doodle commitment can be an extensive process.  Considering the 47 other things going on before 7:15 am, I will take whatever spare seconds I can get.  Alas, our throwback bot.  Oscar likes him, and I even have time to do the robot (yep, dancing) for a finish.  Happy Friday - enjoy the weekend!  xoxo

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Year of the Rabbit

Holiday mornings make things easy.  I already know the theme; Oscar needs only to narrow down the content to fit onto one small brown paper bag.  So this morning is Chinese Lunar New Year...I know I'm excited.  This is my second chance at celebrating a new year, since Jan 1st bit it for me.  The conversation this morning went something like this:  "Draw the dragon parade please.  Are we going today?"  "The parade is Sunday...you are going to school today."  Insert some whining here, then a recovery as I am drawing and Oscar seems pleased with my add of a bunny.  "It's year of the rabbit!" he proudly exclaims.  Indeed.  "Am I rabbit?"  "No Oscar, you are a rooster."  "Are you a rabbit?"  "No Oscar, I am a rat."  He looks perplexed, and is searching in his mind for the next name.  This can go on all morning, so I interject "I don't actually know of any rabbits.  No one comes to mind."  His response:  "Can we get one?"  Now I'm perplexed.  I'm not sure if Oscar is asking me to fetch him a human friend born in the zodiac or a companion for the guinea pigEither task seems daunting - best not to commit.  "I'm giving you chocolate pudding today."  Happy New Year xoxo

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Bill Murray & The Promise of Spring

This morning's ask was as to be expected..."it's groundhog day!" was all I got as a response.  Fair enough - I shall draw a groundhog.  Oscar spent a lot of time yesterday making groundhog puppets popping out of burrows, and is extremely interested in the idea of psychic animals predicting weather patterns.  No kidding - me too.  Especially if it means that spring is coming early.  Let's face it, the novelty of snow wears off by February, even for die-hards, and this cold dry weather is really bad for the skin.  Naturally Oscar engaged me in my thoughts on the shadow appearing - notice the clouds on the bag.  "I hope he doesn't Oscar; I want spring to come as soon as possible."  "But what if he does?  Will it be winter forever?"  Gasp, that is an evil thought on this icy morning.  "No, that won't happen," although I am thinking of winters that have expanded into May and cursed that furry Phil for letting me down.  Oh magic groundhog, use your powers for good!   And then we can celebrate by popping on some polka music, catching an airing of an awesome comedy starring a cinematic genius and dreaming of Punxsutawney.  Happy Groundhog Day xoxo

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Pterolicious

Another snowy day in Brooklyn...one would think we are in the Ice Age.  But today's request takes us to the Triassic period.  Ah, I love when Oscar wants me to draw a dinosaur - the great ancestors of birds.  And today, his utterance was "draw your favorite dinosaur."  What a generous spirit.  How can it be anything but a Pterodactyl?  But here's my geek-out moment:  not really dinosaurs, strictly speaking.  Scientists are so darn specific with their nomenclature.  So let's review:  winged lizard; also known as pterosaurs; hollow bones; and the most important reference?  Inspiration for the greatest character on Pee Wee's Playhouse - Pterri!  I really loved his lisp - so endearing.  Oscar was pleased with the sketch, and even said the eggs "looked yummy."  Um, nice Fred Flintstone moment sweetie.  Happy Tuesday all - keep warm :)  xoxo