(while playing lego together)
Dad: So RJ, if you were at your birthday party and a giant, venomous spider showed up, threatening everyone…
RJ: (curious) Yeah?
Dad: What kind of weapon would you use to fight it? A sword? A spear?
RJ: Well… Hmm… To kill a giant spider,.. I would use… A giant boot!
Carved watermelons and artificial pumpkins are the name of the game around here. Watch out for the gorilla and the monster eyeball in the window too!
RJ: (pointing to a Halloween decoration) That one’s broken, Dad.
Dad: It’s probably okay. Spiders have so many legs, they can probably afford to lose one every so often.
RJ: No! They can’t!
Dad: What do you mean? They have eight to start with, right?
RJ: Yes, but after they lose a leg, they can’t be a spider any more… They have to be a pider.
RJ: Watch out, Dad. They’re all robots now.
Dad: Who’s that?
RJ: The spiders and insects… Even the scorpions. They’ve all been replaced by robots.
Dad: Let me guess. The bad guys have a plan to take over the world?
RJ: Yes, and it starts by replacing all the venomous creatures with robots.
RJ: … but not the lizards. They’re still on our side.
(a discussion after school)
RJ: Did you know that bad robots need bad batteries and bad switches?
Dad: No. I didn’t know that. So the bad batteries have bad power in them?
RJ: Yep. It’s what makes them so evil.
Dad: So… What if I put bad power in a good robot?
RJ: Not a good idea. He would just pull out his gun and shoot you.
Dad: Okay. I wont try that then. What if I put bad power into something safe, like a TV?
RJ: That’s the worst idea EVER.
Dad: Why? TV’s don’t have guns in them.
RJ: If you do that, the TV will explode… and then hundreds of tiny spider droids will come out and attack you. They’re really little.
Dad: Like microbots, or even smaller, like nanobots?
RJ: Nanobots. They try to get into your ears then your brain to kill you.
Dad: Can I just stomp on them?
RJ: Nope. They’re too tough — they’re made of metal!
Dad: What if I use a super strong magnet? Then they’ll be stuck to it.
RJ: Nope. They’re not made of iron. They use a different kind of metal.
Dad: Titanium or something?
RJ: Yep.
Dad: What if I sprayed them with acid?
RJ: Wont work.
Dad: Why not?
RJ: Because they have little sucker hoses that will clean it all up… then they empty it into the rubbish.
Dad: (thinking) Hmm…
Dad: … Got it! I’ve got electric shoes! When they try to crawl up my feet, they’ll get zapped and stop working!
RJ: …
RJ: … (thinking) …
RJ: (looks around) … But you’re not wearing shoes!!! You’re DEAD!
The trip to Melbourne wasn’t only for Thanksgiving dinner with our friends. We also spent a bunch of time with our cousins!
Even though it was nearly summer, the weather was typical Melbourne: cool and rainy. The day we arrived, we stopped by a great cafe for a terrific brunch followed by a trip to the Melbourne Museum. They have a great permanent dinosaur exhibit and while we were there, they had a fantastic arthropod exhibit with a huge collection of LIVE tarantulas and dangerous spiders as well as some insects. RJ was in heaven — a museum full of dinosaurs and bugs!
Off to a cafe for breakfast, where LR tells Mi. all the latest news. Surprise of the morning: both LR and RJ like kippers!
The days before Halloween were filled with sorting through decorations and preparing for the party. This year we made our own piñata and carved our “jack-o-melons” ahead of time.
We’ll have pictures from the massive party coming in the next couple of days, so definitely check back in!
RJ was planning on being a witch for Halloween... but ended up changing his mind later.
(while playing together)
LR: Let’s play, “Mums and Dads.”
RJ: No! I want to play, “Trapdoor Spiders!”
A minute later the kids were playing mummy and daddy trapdoor spiders.
It was a huge August and the kids have only gotten more busy, not less. We’ve had birthday parties, sleep-overs, soccer finals, dress-up days at school, martial arts Jedi training and more. Here are some of the highlights!
Dad took LR and RJ on the train into the city to look for a present for Mum's birthday.
(while eating breakfast)
RJ: Scarlet’s feet are clicking… Click click click.
Dad: Is that a problem?
RJ: Yes. It reminds me of giant spiders walking around the house… Giant spiders that eat people.
Dad: Maybe we could train one. We could have it as a pet!
RJ: No. That’s not a good idea.
Dad: Why not?
RJ: Because Grammy doesn’t mind little spiders, but she would be scared of a giant spider and she would freak out.
Dad: Fair enough. Can’t say I’d blame her.
