Mom’s knight’s helmet

Mr. Boy and I mutally suffered through the madhouse of the first grade Xmas party at his school this afternoon–him making crafts at three separate tables at top speed, then playing competitive games such as jumping from one end of the gym to the other holding a soccer ball between his legs. My problem was trying to get our new Nikon S10 point-and-shoot to focus and shoot fast enough to catch the action. Digital cameras are a lot of fun, but their shutters aren’t made for writhing, twisting six-year-olds. I might have gotten two good shots out of thirty. Finally it was all over, and we went back to his classroom to pick up his backpack and jacket, wish his teacher felicitations of the season, and then went home. School’s out for two weeks. He doesn’t have to go back until Jan. 9. What are you going to do with him, the sympathetic keep asking me. Oh, we’ll find something to do. For instance, at the moment, he’s making Mom a knight’s helmet out of paper. He just stopped by to measure. He said Mom has "a really big head," but mine was close and he would measure on mine. So he did, went off to make the helmet, a mask really, came back and tried the fit and pronounced it good. He’d already made her a paper shield and a sword. She’ll be thrilled, I’m sure. He keeps asking if it’s time yet to read Harry Potter. Another fifteen minutes I said, for no particular reason. Just another arbitrary adult. HP is a hit so far. When I read the sentence about poor Harry living in the cupboard under the stairs at the Dursley’s, Mr. B. actually gasped. A sure sign we will be reading the HP series for a while.