Really Tall
My nephew, Dominic, is 3 years old. He turns 4 in August. He is at an age where he is a sponge for all information, but he gets a little bored when I accurately answer his bizarre questions. So instead of giving the correct explanation for the origins thunder, I have started to make sh*t up. He's not my kid, so any long-term scarring from my imaginative answers will be blamed on his parents. Not to mention, he's much more entertained about giants running into each other than the difference in speed between light and sound.
When Sam (known as "Uncle Sam") and I were in L.A. last, Dominic was curious about why Uncle Sam was so tall. Sam is 6'3" and, well, Dominic is 3 - so Sam looks REALLY tall. We told him that Uncle Sam hangs upside down like a bat every night and that this stretches him to be taller. Dominic loved this and his eyes got all big in wonder, "Really?!" Apparently, this left an imprint on my nephew. My sister called me after their last parent-teacher conference and said Dominic made a picture of Uncle Sam. I was worried that he told his teacher about Sam being a bat at night, but Dominic seems to be more mesmerized with him being tall rather than a bat. She sent me the picture and thankfully Uncle Sam was labeled, cause I'm afraid his neo-modernist crayon drawing was a mystery to me. My sister says the really straight line is quite the accomplishment for him. When you are only 3, such things are an accomplishment. I'm jealous.
Ahhh, yes... the art of "making sh*t up". Having grown up with a dozen younger cousins, it's a skill I know well.
And in other news, don't take this the wrong way, Caolionn, cuz I liked your drawing of the turkey an' all, but I think Dominic may be a better artist than you.
8-)
Posted by: sam | April 28, 2005 at 08:03 AM
Completely agree. I am one of those anal types that have to color inside the line, total lack of creativity on my part. Dominic doesn't seem to have such hang-ups.
Posted by: Caolionn | April 28, 2005 at 03:06 PM
Giants running into each other. That's totally silly. Everyone knows the sound comes from angels bowling.
Posted by: Aunt Barb | May 02, 2005 at 04:36 PM