Crumpled Home

I’d been meaning to get a picture of this for a while, but hadn’t gotten to it yet. This is a sign that LR put up on her door about six months ago, letting everyone know that they’re welcome to come in.

A robot welcomes everyone who comes to LR's bedroom door. Proud father? Oh yes, indeed.

That’s a robot that’s she’s drawn (from scratch) on there… It’s because of things like this that I can look past the all the other fluffy pink stuff around the place.

Fairies? Magic ponies? Ridiculous nonsense! Humanoid robot servitors? Now that’s much more respectable.

Here’s a smattering of pictures from the first half of the month: RJ’s sudden fascination with Superman, a visit to K and J’s place, trips to Gingin, lots of tree climbing, legos, marbles and painting, oh my!

Compared to his obsession with dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures, RJ’s interest in Superman is fairly mild. You’re more likely to catch him pretending to be biologist Nigel Marven.

Don't fear, Superman is on the way.

RJ and I made some Superman badges. I told him, "We don't need no steenkin badges!" but he just wouldn't listen.

K and J’s have an amazing treehouse. It’s multi-level, and is outfitted with a flying-fox, a giant tyre swing, a climbing wall and harnesses and attachment points for everything.

LR and K ride the tyre swing to pretty amazing heights.

LR tackles the climbing wall at K's place.

RJ and J discuss some of the problems they've been having at home.

LR’s tree has grown into one of the best climbing trees imaginable – kid capacity, 15. We’ll find out for sure at this year’s Halloween party.

RJ and LR found an egg shell under LR's tree. Does that mean there's a nest up there somewhere? They've searched all the lower branches and haven't spotted it yet, so maybe not.

RJ climbs up without assistance these days. The monkey genes... they run deep.

Some other recent moments…

Sometimes he just has to yell it out. Negotiating with a hungry three year old who needs a nap is not always possible.

LR tries out Dad's camera while RJ attempts to escape.

LR and RJ worked on this massive castle project. We still haven't managed to use every piece of lego yet.

RJ and Mum adjust their complicated marble run and sling marbles all around the room.

LR adding some details to her big canvas, "The Planet System". It depicts an asteroid crashing into a prehistoric volcanic landscape leading to the collapse of the dinosaur populations on Earth.

In the art gallery, in front of a giant (5×3 metres – 17×10 ft) Aboriginal painting.

LR: I see the problem. My paintings have all been too small.

A few minutes later…

LR: Mum, I think that I can’t paint very well because I have the wrong brushes and paints. You’ve only given me kid stuff. Let’s go to the shop and get real artists’ paints and brushes and a big canvas.

At the art shop, faced with a wall of colours (each $7).

Mum: Uh-oh. How are we going to figure out which ones you need?
Art Shop Lady: That’s okay. Get a colour wheel. Just buy the primary colours and white and black and you can make any colour.
Mum: Great!
LR: What’s a primary colour?
Art Shop Lady: It’s a colour that you can’t make from any other colours. Red, yellow and blue are the primary colours.
LR: How do you make red?
Art Shop Lady: You use chemicals.
LR: How did they make the first red?
Art Shop Lady: Umm…I don’t know. (calls over another lady)
Art Shop Lady 2: Well, you can use iron oxides or berries to make different shades of red. Or cochineal from beetles.
LR: Oh. But how did that red get made?
Mum: (stepping in at the looks on the ladies’ faces) That’s a good question. Let’s look that up. Or we’ll ask Grammie. She knows everything about art. (That’s called passing the buck)

As LR and Mum are leaving the shop, the first lady comes over, puts her hand on Mum’s shoulder and says “You poor thing.”