Mid-Michigan Style for Mid-November. . .

"The Young Master warning ol' Dad before the school bus arrived, "No skiing, tobogganing, or other fun in the snow ever!"

The Young Master, who is in the 3rd Grade and turned nine three weeks ago, has discovered that he can make people laugh. A lot.

A great reader, and highly talented with pencils, paper, and paints, he has created a series of book covers and story text since the early summer, which is divided into chapters, all about the misadventures of one put upon small boy who is made to do a million and one household chores by his mean father (actually just one task a day Monday through Friday plus feed the fish and cats daily) in the name of helping around the house and learning responsibility. The mean father in these highly detailed illustrations, naturally, looks like yours truly. Imagine that.

The various related narratives committed to paper always seems to be about arduous things like bath times, homework, feeding the fish and cats, swiffering the kitchen floor, tossing a basket of laundry into the washing machine, organizing his bedroom bookshelves, practicing the piano, bedtimes, and the like. And, of course, eating unpopular foods he has been served for dinner, for example homemade ravioli filled with cheese and asparagus tips.

Boyish perceptions and tendencies toward overstatement aside, The Young Master has already asked several times about skiing this winter since we have been having light snows here for the last week. With slightly colder temperatures and just a bit more on the ground we should be ready to schussss-schussss-schusss through the woods and down some hills together. In the meantime, it's like living with Steve Martin and Martin Short around here. Bizarrely madcap. There are days when our sides almost hurt from so much laughter brought on by our son.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

The woods beyond our backyard this morning just after The Young Master climbed aboard the school bus this morning.

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