A child's work

Once again I am inspired by my kids. When you get right down to it a child's main job is to create. Of course the inspiration around here is all THEM. Here are a few scenes at my house today:

A pile of fat quarters which my ten year old gifts to her friend Lauren for her tenth birthday. Katie saw Lauren's room yesterday and decided she should have some new fabric to play with. I think she's right. This is a little girl who watches project runway and actually met Tim Gunn at a fashion show. (I saw his signature on her cast this spring with his phrase "make it work".) If Lauren can't find something to do with these pretties, I'm afraid it's "auf Wiedersehen," don't you think? Who wouldn't love a gift like that?

A little vignette left on the kitchen counter. Check out the doll. Katie cleverly added pipe cleaners to her Model Magic creation so that the doll's arms bend at the elbow. She had asked me earlier today if she could look through my scrap drawer. I will never say no to her when she asks to have some of my craft stuff. But don't tell her that.

A wee block building found on the dining table. Love it. Don't know who claims to be the architect.

The top picture is an invention for a LEGO contest asking for a "must have" gadget 50 years in the future. The boys each made one a few weeks ago. This one is Willie's -- a portable grill for cooking meat when you're on the move. There's a weapon on there somewhere, too, in case you need to blast something. (OK, not exactly the future I want to live in, but hey, the little guy's seven. God forbid we really will need something like this 50 years from now!)

Can you see why I'm letting these short people hang around for awhile? I don't know anyone more fun.

Incidentally, Willie received a nice LEGO kit for his birthday this month which was a house kit. (No I don't get a kick-back from LEGO or Amazon.) I bought it for him because I see an architect in his strong sense of order and heavy-handed persnicketiness. (No offense to the architects out there, but maybe you'll understand what I mean when I say that!) The windows and doors and roofing pieces were a happy departure from the space ship and car pieces he usually plays with. His house turned out lovely and I believe after the love affair with it wears out, he'll take it apart and get a lot of use out of those new pieces. Anyway, LEGOs rock, but wood is good, too.

While I'm going on and on about LEGOs I have to mention our school's seventh and eighth grade LEGO robotics teams headed by Mick Scallon at St. Gabriel's. A few years ago after leading a LEGO club after school he decided to make the club an authentic elective for middle school students. It's only been a few years since the decision to make LEGO robotics a bona fide class. A serious and studious approach has paid off -- this year the school team went to the World LEGO competition in MN and placed 8th overall! They competed against teams from virtually everywhere, including the Denmark, where LEGO originates. Kudos to LEGO for taking their awesome toys to the next level and helping kids learn that mechanical engineering can be FUN.

Does anyone know, will LEGO ever go public?

Crochet Coral Reef

Jen Hirt, from the Museum of Ephemerata and my kids' art teacher (lucky us!) sent me this link, which I will pass on to you. Apparently, scientists discovered that the growth of coral can be reproduced through crochet stitches exactly mimicking the expanding and warping growth process. What fun. The Institute for Figuring website explains the process and shows you all kinds of crocheted coral and even invites you to make your own.

On a related note, I had an hour to kill in B&N today, where I found myself browsing the science and math aisle. There are many recently published books I didn't even know I wanted. Understanding prime numbers, mirror cells in the brain which are foundations of social interaction, or why humans are wired for music are all subjects within reach of the average jane. Well written contemporary science reads like a good story. Last year I discussed this popular genre with a brainy friend who runs a lab at Harvard. She said she couldn't enjoy these types of books because wasn't convinced the facts were "true". Probably unfortunately for me, I'm not one who needs proof on the molecular level that things are true, so I guess I can enjoy these types of books. I'm sure a couple of these will end up on my summer reading list.

The last days of school are upon us. Summer is here, but I'm feeling no inclination to relax -- scary. Just when I think I have plenty to do, I go and find more. Today my Jazzercise friends met for lunch at Johnny Fins, a floating restaurant on Lake Travis. I indulged (since there's no telling when I might be going out to lunch with the ladies any time soon) and met a new friend among them who makes gourd art, so we're planning a get together sometime this summer. A Fiber Arts meeting tonight inspired me (as usual) to do something different and creative with wool roving, but I'm thinking dryer lint might work almost as well.

Meanwhile, my son turned seven this week. He and his younger brother are busy with tee ball, and LEGO projects while thankfully my daughter's schedule is loosening up after a big dance recital last week. Too many hobbies around here lately. On top of it all, my Valentine doll is being exhibited at the TX Capitol this weekend and we're bringing an adopted cat into our home on Friday afternoon. What can I say; we stopped in for Guinnea Pig food and came out with adoption papers. He's a big mellow fellow named Pinto and I just know he's going to love it here!
More on the Fiber Arts exhibit tomorrow...I should probably sleep at some point tonight.