Thursday, December 08, 2005

Art Night

I mentioned, way back, that I join 2-to-4 kids once a week—when I'm not so busy that I keep guiltily begging off—to draw. Some weeks the lesson is structured, on perspective and shadow, for instance, but other weeks, it's "fun night."

Wednesday night, we made Christmas cards. Though I didn't use the cliche, I stressed to the kids to "think outside the box..." to come up with puns, use non-holiday items for clever ideas. A frog was drawn, with the words "Hoppy Holidays" scrawled across. A cartoon of a Santa stumbling down the chimney, "Happy Fall-i-days", and a lava lamp, "Feliz Lava-Dad".

Moms & Pops prefer I don't use their real names, but J***, Age 7, fixed up this card, inadvertently making it too large for the envelope. I told him he'd have to trim it down. He got right to it with the scissors, stuffed it into an envelope, and addressed it to me.

He sealed it, and handed it to me, insisting, "Open it!"

"Well...I just saw you make it, so I'll wait."

"No! Open it! Open it!"

Fine. I opened it, pulled it out, and admired the..uh...drawing that he insists was not blood, but merely "mouth-colored."

"OPEN it!!!" He insisted, still. Ok, something written inside?

I folded over the front page...

...and the thing fell apart in my hand, into 2 pieces.

I gave J*** a dry look, and he collapsed into incontrollable laughter, tears rolling down his cheeks.

He'd inadvertently cut off the fold-side of the card when he trimmed it to fit the envelope, cutting the card into 2. Instead of trashing it, he decided to play a *bit* of a practical joke...

Sigh....There was a day when a 7-year-old couldn't pull one over on me.

4 comments:

  1. Yikes, foiled again. Sounds like fun! Don't feel badly that you were duped. I'm tricked by a 7 year old a couple times a week...

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  2. remember the OmegaPumpkin? I sympathize with J. Didn't Brian put the OmegaPumpkin in your refrigerator to greet you the next morning with it's one staring eye? Maybe J's taking lessons from Brian!

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  3. This entry really gave us a chuckle...thanks!

    Having lived in Texas so long, I'm reminded of my all-time favorite Christmas card -- written by a pro at Hallmark, not a child, unfortunately.

    On the front is a happy little mutt dog with wagging tail, wrapped in Christmas lights...the entire dog, not just the tail. The greeting?

    Fleas Navidog

    Janet

    (lordcelery.blogspot.com)

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  4. Two words to spread holiday cheer to practical joking children everywhere...pepper spray.

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