Our first "project"

Yesterday afternoon, after our ten year old went through the usual routine of throwing his lunchbox, backpack, and coat on the floor, being told they did not belong on the floor, rolling his eyes and moving them,, and begging for food, he had some big news to share.

"Mom, I need to make an election poster!"
"Okaaaay, when is it due?"
"Tomorrow."
"Did you really just find out about this today?"
"Uh-huh."

All rightie then. As soon as Dad gets home from work, we need to go to WalMart. Our previous round of markers is long gone, either as mistaken toddler edibles, caps left off, or as murals next to Princess D's bed. At least they gave him the paper for it.

At Walmart, we found a blinking, light up, patriotic pin, glitter star stickers, markers, and candy.

"Mom, pop rocks! They're so cool! They explode in your mouth."
"UH, yeah. I know."
" How? "
" Well, pop rocks have been around a long time, even when I was a kid."
"Whoaaa. That's some vintage candy then, can I buy some, please?!"

We all know the pop rocks ended up in the cart, along w/ a bag of hersheys bars and twix . I have such a love/hate relationship with Walmart in October.
Rocks popping in his mouth, we run into Price Chopper to get bread and salad to go with dinner, and head home.

After dinner..."weren't we going to carve pumpkins tonight?"
"It's okay. You have to do your poster. We'll do pumpkins on Thursday."
"Oh, it wasn't something I have to do. It was only if we wanted to."
Internally, mom goes "WHAT! We have to eat dad's cooking for something you didn't HAVE to do?!" Externally, responsible parent mode is still in order.
"I don't think so. We've already gone out to buy the stuff, and you said after school you had to do it."
"But MOM."
"The pumpkins will still be here, really. Have you cleared the table?"
Uh-no. So he goes and comes back. "Done"
"Is it clean where you want to make your poster? You don't want to get food on it."
Of course not. A few minutes later, we finally have a clean table.
"Okay, now where's you're rough draft?"
"Huh?"
"Take the skinny markers, and a different piece of paper, and draw a sketch of what you want to write, where you want the stickers,etc."
"I wanna picture of the candidates on there too."
"Okay, I'll go get a magazine w/ their pics while you're working on your rough draft."

Back to Walmart, only to find out they don't carry Newsweek or Time. So we try the QT across the street, no dice. Then back to CVS. Ah, victory. Time has the perfect pics.

I get home, and he's ready. We get the official poster out, along w/ a ruler and pencil. I show him how to center it and make "cheater lines" for writing straight. He does the rest, except for erasing the pencil marks. Mom gets that job. Overall, he did a great job. Dad even got the light on the pin to work. Senators McCain and Obama overlook his slogan " Your vote COUNTS". Great job #1.