Max Busboom

Based only on third hand reports I’ve developed a revulsion to the sparkly-vampire show Twilight. So, I jumped like I’d met a leper when Max wanted to show Mom his “Sparkling Communities.” Mom put him to bed, hoping that he’d forget. Max never forgets. Next morning he was still excited about Sparkling Communities. Max wakes up about an hour before his parents and he often entertains himself by making books. Fortunately, Max is all boy, and the Sparkling Communities turned out to be astronomical constellations. Here is a PDF of the full book.

Max has become interested in knights and dragons, so it wasn’t surprising when he asked about how to get a sword from a stone. I explained the legend of King Arthur as best I could remember. Then Max explained, “No, how do you make a sword from a stone. " Possible, I supposed, but not practical. Max persisted. He persisted for several weeks. Finally, I understood what he was really saying: “Good God Man, you’re a Busboom! Get to work! " So I made a sword from a stone. We took a river rock from the garden, put a diamond blade on the angle grinder, and free-handed a sword. Even though Max was equipped with safety glasses and an apron, the lesson was entirely negated by Dad holding an angle grinder in one hand, and a rock in the other. Regardless, the result was acceptable, and Max approves:

This was the first year that we’ve really talked to Max about Santa Claus. He’s 5 now, and in previous years he didn’t care or didn’t understand. The magic did not last long.

Max, to Mom: Is Santa Claus real, or a made up story? Mom: Well, Santa Claus is, um, the spirit of Christmas. Max: But is he real or a made up story? Mom: It’s kind of hard to say. Max: Can Daddy say? Mom: Go ask your Dad.

The second release from the Artists’ oeuvre: The lyrics are exactly what they sound like, and his parents have absolutely no explanation for them.

The budding songsmith has combined the tradition of children’s songs with the lurid interests of 5 year old boys.

If you’re happy and you know it crack your skull. (Crack, Crack) x3 If you’re happy and you know it, then your face should surely know it If you’re happy and you know it crack your skull. (Crack, Crack)

Max fights the octorok with his termomos. The octorok is a baddie from the Zelda video games, but the termomos is Max’s creation.

Max has discovered folk music. Dad hopes it is a passing phase.

Here’s how dad gets Max onto his shoulders.

Wistify: To wrap a blanket around your belly and twist around in bed.

Zeppo and I are wistified.

Illustration from There is no Bok Choy.

The periods of the geologic time scale are fascinating, it seems, and Max enjoys relating facts about them, although this observation, in reference to a picture illustrating some of the important periods, was also a bit poetic:

He’s walking to the Quaternary

In the picture, a human is incorrectly shown in the Tertiary period. Humans actually arose in the middle of the Quaternary, hence Max’s comment. Here is the picture: