Mar. 14, 2002 - 21:09 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Juncgenuity

When our fifth child, a girl we called Baby Boo, reached middle school age, she knew for a fact that Dad could do anything and that Mom could make miracles happen too. She came home with a project that I hoped was assigned but felt that she had volunteered to do. That was to make a model of A City Of The Future.

Over the years of my mechanical work and construction of jigs, fixtures and extraneous pieces of esoteric stuff I had accumulated a large variety of scrapped materials and fasteners. I also had a roll around tool cabinet with a hacksaw, drill, bits, countersinks and taps. Files and knives and more. The very framework of the city would be two fairly good sized pieces of flat, transparent plastic about 5/16th of an inch thick and five plastic rods that were large enough to drill and tap.

From there it was more or less established that the city would be on two levels. She and I shaped the plastic sheets, I drilled and tapped the rods and the holes through the sheets and it all was bolted together. The city plat was now on two levels.

Much conferencing took place with Heather sitting in. Much kitchen stuff in the way of plastic containers, jello molds and various other stuff was given by Heather. Jeeminy, I just can't remember all of the stuff we managed to assemble, but it was varied. Door holes and window holes were made, locations of buildings was set and the function of each one named. We fashioned a means of moving from top level to lower level, laid out streets and walks and paved both with stuff like sandpaper cut in the appropriate shapes. A lake was discussed but decided against. A few miniature trees and shrubs bought at Hobby Lobby or where-ever were attached and with a little painting of stuff the marvelous City Of The Future was ready to take to school.

The rest is more or less an anticlimax, Heather and Baby Boo took said city to school. One of her classmates asked, "Where are the people ?" Baby Boo answered, "I made the city, you shoo in the people."

We got an "A" on it which I think she deserved as much of the city was designed by her and she had done as much of the handwork she could, the painting etc. was hers and the teacher had given permission for parents to help.

Would that I could go back in years and go through the time once again when one of my children thought Dad and Mom could do anything -- to a time at the age they were, when often we were able to do anything they had in mind. There always was such an excitement of doing something together and making something or doing one project or another that seemed to tie us closer together than most anything else. Chores were done, housework was done, the necessary things were taken care of but there was always time to help one of ours to expand their mind or abilities -- often both. Working together toward a common goal that they had established was great. There were times we did the fun and games bit for a break, but then back to the project in hand.

For all our kids I seemed to have enough items to help them make whatever they wanted to make as long as I would discuss with the individual child the practicality of the proposed venture.

Then would come in to play my Juncgenuity . . . . . . . .

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