Category Archives: Mr. Boy

Wizards and glasses

Posted on January 3, 2007 | Comments Off on Wizards and glasses

Mr. Boy and I are into the sixth chapter of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and it’s becoming obvious that Mr. B. not only identifies with Harry (though he also likes to pretend to be Harry’s sidekick Ron Weasley) but that the identification is serendipitously making the wearing of Mr. B.’s new glasses much more bearable. He only wishes they were round, like HP’s. But round glasses are hard to find and so he settled for the narrow rectangular ones the industry only seems to make these days. He has the glasses because the optometrist confirmed a few weeks before Christmas what the school eye test had first found, that he has a slight problem with one eye. It’s called "lazy eye" and the glasses are supposed to correct it. In fact, the doc said he might not have to wear them after age nine. Problem is, Mr. B. insists he can’t see any better with the glasses than without, so having Harry Potter as a glasses-wearing model is a godsend.

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Today’s pretty picture

Posted on January 2, 2007 | Comments Off on Today’s pretty picture

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The Witch’s Broom Nebula, in honor of my and Mr. Boy’s embarkation on the second novel in the Harry Potter series. Mr. B. already identifies with Mr. P., as one might expect. /NASA 

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Posted in Library, Mr. Boy, Space

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Santa come and gone

Posted on December 25, 2006 | Comments Off on Santa come and gone

Knee-deep in torn wrapping paper, the only sound at the Rancho is Mr. B.’s delighted chatter about such as his new Lego X-wing fighter, his Leapster math games, and his Nerf-ball target set. Since he got us up at 6:30 this morning, and although the sun is out for the first time in several days, the wind is gusting to 20 mph, so Mom and Dad are taking it slow and easy. Later, at supper, the sound of popping Christmas crackers. I got the orange crown.

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Rancho Roly Poly, Weather/Climate

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Suspense

Posted on December 24, 2006 | Comments Off on Suspense

Here at the Rancho we celebrate both Hannuka and Christmas, and so Mr. Boy has a busy month of anticipation. We started with the candles and reading and telling and explaining the Maccabee story, which he always has questions about. Then, concurrently, we moved on to buying the tree, decorating it, wrapping packages and waiting for the mailman to bring more. Lately Mr. B.’s idea of fun has been to lie on the rug beside the packages under the tree and dream out loud about what might be in them, and what Santa might be willing to add to the anticipated pile of loot. We still credit Santa with largess around here, although I believe we are on the tipping point, as they say, of knowing better. It’s a blessing, meanwhile, that the suspense finally is reaching a crescendo–especally as it is cold and rainy outside and there’s very little to do except wait for tomorrow morning to arrive.

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Mom’s knight’s helmet

Posted on December 21, 2006 | Comments Off on 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.

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A! Elbereth Gilthoniel!

Posted on December 17, 2006 | Comments Off on A! Elbereth Gilthoniel!

So we stood on the quay with Sam and Merry and Pippen and watched Frodo and Bilbo sail away with Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel, at the end of The Return of the King. For Mr. Boy’s second time. And when I reached the last sentence and the trilogy we’ve been using for bedtime stories for most of the year was over, he said he wanted to start all over again with The Hobbit. Much as I love Tolkien’s melodic prose, particularly his descriptions of the landscape in the turn of the seasons, I think I may lobby for the Harry Potter series. Or, maybe not. I think I’ve finally got the names down to where I can pronounce them as J. R. R. intended. And it’s undeniable that Mr. B. gets a certain far-away dreamy look listening to these adventures that he didn’t even with Narnia and Treasure Island.

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Posted in Library, Mr. Boy, Rancho Roly Poly

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Six-year-old disconnect

Posted on December 13, 2006 | 4 comments

Picking up Mr. Boy at school this afternoon, I noticed something I hadn’t considered before. I’d seen the way his shoes come untied and the laces drag on the ground as he walks. But I hadn’t considered how odd it was. Here is a kid who can play chess (at least he knows the way the pieces move, although strategy is still well beyond him) and beat me at checkers, if I don’t pay close attention. But he still can’t tie his shoes.

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