Jim Henson's Prodigy

Sometimes I worry so much about my son.  Reading and writing are still such a challenge for him.  He has improved exponentially, but it is still an up hill battle.   But then he does something like this:

Just some Sculpey and an imagination.  He started with a need to create a hamburger and all its fixin's and then he got into these little characters.

Looking at them all I could think of was the Muppets.  What do you do with a creative mind like this?  How do you grow it from play to art / stage?  I know the first step is to let it flourish and grow without being stomped on which we have allowed, but now how do we give it the light and nourishment to offer him stability and earnings in the future?

Dear Detroit - Creating the MOM-mobile

I think that as GM, FORD, and Chevy reconfigure their automotive style, they should really consider moms. I have really started to think of all the hours that I spend in my car and it is disgusting. I think that my car my rival my bed for total number of hours used a day. Mind you, it is not just the traveling but also the sitting time. After the gas price rise about a year ago, I seriously reconsidered how much driving I do and if it makes sense to drop the kids off and come back for them or to just stick around. Needless to say, I spend hours waiting in the car. I read, crochet, take naps, write, but I’d like to tell the automakers that a few key changes in design would be greatly appreciated:

Screen windows – Certainly as I sit because I am trying to save on gas the car is turned off and therefore can get very warm so I have to open the windows which inevitably lets in mosquitoes. Screens would be very helpful (and perhaps conversely in the winter a small solar powered space heater).

Swivel seat – While the driver’s seat is comfortable for driving, sitting in it for such long periods can get uncomfortable on the legs. So the ability to turn would be great especially if I could turn toward a work surface.

Central Console / desk / work surface – Wouldn’t it be great if I could bring my scrapbooking or Christmas cards and work right there in the car: Swivel that chair and bang a great work surface (perhaps it could be created by just flipping over the passanger's seat). Especially in those new cars with blue tooth technology, I could actually work and meet my family’s demands.

Removable pillow / changeable window tint – I can’t tell you the number of naps I’ve taken in the car especially during “Hell Weeks” (the week before a theater performance). But I am always concerned that someone will think that I am in distress so I would love to just “tint” the windows temporarily while I sleep. The pillow goes without saying and can conveniently be stored in the head rest. The tint will also be helpful for those times when the backseat is occasionally used as a dressing room as we run from one event to the next.

I think these are more than reasonable requests and not quite as unreasonable as some of my other ideas like remote driving, cars that can be driven as a pod two seater or transformed to a van, a holder for my yarn; so I hope Detroit will seriously consider these adaptations. What do you think should be added to the MOM-mobile?

Christmas Gift Ideas

They say it is always good to dream. So when I was on Realtor.com today and say a widget for Neiman-Marcus' Christmas wish list, I decided to click away. I needed a diversion from no health insurance and a cancelled showing. And I found dream gifts for everybody:

DD, a horse enthusiast, who hasn't been able to get back into horseback riding because we just can't afford it right now. She will take one Three Chimneys Farm Thoroughbred Racing Stable Package - "You want the best, you go to the best. You want a working, turnkey, in-the-running thoroughbred racing enterprise right out of the starting gate? You go to Three Chimneys Farm. The legendary Kentucky farm has managed some of racing's winningest thoroughbreds, including history's only undefeated triple crown winner (a little guy named Seattle Slew). For this exclusive package, you get the works because Three Chimneys means business. They will build you a stable of 12-15 thoroughbreds and with your input will train them, house them, select races, enter them in races, provide you a personal racing concierge, and manage the entire enterprise for the next four years. As the owner, you get to name your stable and any unnamed horses, design your own silks, attend races, pose for pictures, give quotes to the media ... and keep all the purses and trophies."

DS loves legos. So I thought the Life-Size Replica in LEGO® Bricks would be best. It is described as "Acclaimed artist Nathan Sawaya is obsessed with LEGO® bricks. Uh, trust us, he is. He fills his New York studio with more than 1.5 million of the interlocking toy building blocks, and he can sculpt anything out of them — a full-size Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton or a 7-foot-long scale replica of the Brooklyn Bridge, for example. Given the skill and depth of his devotion to his art, it makes perfect sense to immortalize your own magnificent self with our 2008 His & Hers gifts. Send in detailed photos and measurements, then Nathan gets to snapping and BOOM! One-of-a-kind, life-size sculptures of yourselves in LEGO bricks. We priced our exclusive gift individually, so Nathan can "brickalize" you and the S.O., the kids, Granny and/or anyone else you obsess about. (Just make sure you have the rights to their likenesses; we're not here to judge.) "

There is even a perfect gift for DH - Authentic Guinness® Home Pub "There are plenty of reasons to raise a pint to the Irish. Saint Patrick, the Blarney Stone. One of the greatest occurred in 1759 when young Arthur Guinness founded a brewery at St. James's Gate, crafted a hearty, distinctive stout, and won a place in our hearts forever. Celebrate the 250th anniversary of that first delicious keg with our exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime gift. The folks at RiRa Pubs will design a fully functional, traditional Irish pub and build it in your home in 2009. It will be crafted from historic Irish architectural elements and authentic Guinness artifacts. There's also a VIP trip for two to Dublin with first class airfare, luxury accommodations, and insider access to the magic still being made at the historic working St. James's Gate brewery. (All members of your party must be at least 21 years of age.) Plus fresh Guinness Stout for your pub. For an entire year. "

Granted the total cost of these gift would be higher than our new house, but hey at least its a dream. They may end up with a horseback lesson, a box of legos, and a bottle of beer, but at least the thought was there. Check out the Neiman-Marcus Christmas Book to dream a little yourself.

Pokemon with PokeMOM

Have you been introduced to the Pokemon nation? DS loves all things Pokemon. He collects cards and plays it online. He begs for later and later bedtimes so that he can see Pokemon shows and movies.

Each character has a name. They are all very strange: Mantyke, Croagunk, Skorupi, Hippopotas. And then some “evolve” into more advanced characters:

Munchlax - - -Snorlax
Gible - - -Gabite - - -Garchomp
Happiny - - - Chansey - - -Blissey
Mime Jr. - - -Mr. Mime
Bonsly - - -Sudowoodo

It is more complicated than I can possibly understand. Some are rare. Each character has HP (health), attack, defense, special attack, special defense, speed. You can even find out their height and weight, type and ability. All this information tells you how they combat each other. I could not explain this if I tried, but it got me thinking that there may be pokemon in my very own home. I know that I have seen a DOGUSHAIRIUS, who can evolve into a UNNYBUSTY if not battle quickly enough and maybe into a TUMBYEEDS. They are very, very dangerous and multiply easily. They can only be combated by SUCKELETROSIS or OOBROOM. I’ve also seen a UNA OKSOC evolve to a NAUDRYL and to its most fearsome form MONTS Y MONTS.

Sometimes it seems there is only one super rare POKEMOM that can save us all. She does have the ability to have babies that can assist her in the battles, but sometimes the hatchlings cause the evolution of the evil that she battles. Without these tiny BABIBS, the evil ones can be kept in control, but with them sometimes the dangers spiral and grow beyond reason.

I think I am really getting this game down.

Well, I think I better throw my Pokeball, “NOCHELEEP SI!” If I’m lucky he’ll get the kids ready for bed and tucked in. He’ll gain such power from his battle that he’ll evolve to WALKI CANINI to walk the dogs and then in his final evolution OUTOUSE LOCSED. He’ll spin his way through the house finishing up the chores so that PokeMOM can retire to her Pokeball.

If this inspires you, let me know about any PokeMOM villains that you encounter in your home.

Fairies Moving In

If you live in the city, fairies must seem like characters made up for fairy tales. But if you live in the country, especially after a good rain, it seems possible. Everything looks so rich and brown. And when the sun shines through the breaks of the trees, it almost seems like a living fantasy movie.

Here in New England, we have been getting some crazy storms day after day, the other day we were even pelted with hail (as hail is snow according to the meteorologist, it will be recorded that we had snow in August). This extra moisture has caused fairies to move into my yard. How else could you explain these tiny capped houses that are not usually around, but when it rains . . .

I just want you to know that I went out while the sky was still flickering with lightning to get these pictures. And yes, I know the green stuff is poison ivy. I kept far away from that.

The extra moisture has also produced Indian Pipes, or maybe, maybe that is a little fairy forest – HMMMM!