paper airplanes

Cole has discovered paper airplanes. A few of the big kids at church have been making them and he was drawn to the craft.

In his search for the ideal shape he has gone through quite a few designs. He is also refining his folding skills and has a pile of discarded planes to show for it. I can see him making progress with each one and it is fun for me to watch. With his drawing skills, it takes months to see progression of his fine motor control and visual composition. Folding planes has been so interesting to me because I can see him learning with each attempt. He is also brilliant at copying my designs by watching me fold.

The other thing I like about it is that he gets instant feedback from his efforts. He is also nice enough to make an extra plane for his sister to toss around the living room.

His thirst for folding is causing our paper supplies to dwindle. I don't have the heart to tell him to stop making new planes, so I bring home waste paper from work, and we keep buying him more. While other parents are teaching their kids about recycling, I am encouraging mine to be a major contributor to deforestation. I keep telling myself it will balance out when he discovers a fuel saving scramjet design by the time he is nine.

I wannit.

Cora is talking more and more, which is a relief because she can finally express to us what she has previously been trying to communicate through pointing and head butting.

The one phrase that she keeps saying is "I want it." which comes out as "I wannit." It is a very useful phrase and makes sense when she points to a muffin or a DVD. Lately, she has started pointing at objects like tower cranes and kookaburras. The communication starts to break down when we try to explain why a commuter train will not fit in the car to take home with us or other practical matters that interfere with her plans. It is at this point when she furrows her brow, disgusted with our lack of ambition, and turns her head to dream up the next scheme she will take on.

The butcher

I have always cut Cole's hair. Except for a few times when we took him to "snip-ity-doo-da" which was a nice little shop where he could sit on a carousel horse and watch a kids movie while getting his hair cut. I have a hard time justifying paying $20 to get a child's hair cut and, to be honest, I like doing it. Plus, I think I was doing a pretty good job of it--until tonight.

I now know why barbers were once considered surgeons.

While working my way around his head with comb and scissors, I was near his ear about to make a cut and he moved his head. My shears came down and swiftly cut a little 'V' in the soft outer part of his ear.

I stopped immediately, knowing what I had just done. He looked up at me with these pleading eyes wondering why I had just sliced open his ear and then started wailing (justifiably so). At this moment I feel like the biggest jerk of all time.

The miracle in all of this is that he calmed down, and after stopping the bleeding and getting an Oscar the Grouch band aid on the wound, he let me finish the cut. What a man.

I think all the money we have been saving in hair cuts will probably go to cosmetic surgery. We will have to see how the gash heals. The only good that can come of this is that he now knows how sensitive his ears are to pain and will hopefully forgo any future plans to pierce his ears.

Saturday Morning at Roma Street

My two favorite places in this city are South Bank and Roma Street Parkland--and they are both free, so we can go on a whim.

The parkland is 40 acres of impeccable gardens, gorgeous landscaping and green space tucked between old growth trees. It is hard to believe it is located in the heart of the city. Every time we go, we ask ourselves why we don't visit it more often.







































As far at the kids are concerned, the only reason to go is the playground. I believe the genius landscape architect knew this would happen, because the playground is located near the middle of the park, so Mary and I still get to stroll through the pathways and enjoy it all on the way there.