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Tuesday, May 22, 2007

If you can’t say anything nice…..















They are all in bed being tucked in for the night after a long and busy day. This is also the time to lay to rest any outstanding snaggles, so that peaceful rest may ensue.
“It dumb!” says my eldest boy with a limited word bank at the end of the day.
“What is dumb dear?”
“Doz fings.”
“Which things?”
“Todd Parr.” [Translation = the decorative ‘transfers’ on their wall]
“I didn’t know you knew his name?” I mutter half rhetorically even though we have read all of those books more often that I care to recall.
“Yes.”

“Why don’t you like them?”
“Dey are for babies.”
“Space things are for babies?”
“No!”
I look up at their walls, spaceships, stars and cheerful primary colours. Spouse is with Junior on his bed, on the other side of the room. All four of us look up to examine their walls. I calculate how many years this theme has been in place? Maybe 6 or 7? His birthday is imminent. He will be 8 years old.

I can just make out spouse’s eyes in the gloom as he catches my glance and mutters “I don’t think my salary will cover gold leaf!” [translation = Junior’s favourite colour is "golden"]

For some reason I am a tad miffed. [translation = upset] I run a surreptious finger along his jaw line. Do I imagine that it is becoming more angular? That little pudgy face with six huge dimples, is just as soft but develops planes. His smooth brow, translucent skin with a tracery of blue veins is that of a boy, not a baby.
“What kind of decorations would you prefer dear?” I watch his liquid eyes retrieve words, but his little brother is too quick and answers for him, “tertiary! Not primary, not secondary! Big boys need tertiary colours like Lilac and "dusty rose!”

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mine have teddy bears for a border... needs to be changed this fall...

Where did the last 7 yrs go?? :)

S.

AS said...

Oh boy! Looks like that room has been cleared for painting rather than take off! Hope it goes well!

Melissa said...

Lilac and dusty rose... hmmm... good luck with that one :D

dulwichmum said...

That is super lovely. I am glad you have recorded this on your blog to share. This is why a blog is just the perfect kind of parent diary...

"Lilac" and "dusty rose", how very sweet! Let the boy express himself - but be sure to keep the door closed when his friends come to tea. They might not get his purple and pink phase.

Bea said...

Lilac is a great colour for big boys. :)

Anonymous said...

I am laughing pretty hard about now. How many boys and men apparently did not even get the box of 24 crayons, if their knowledge of tertiary colors is any guide?

Long live lilac and dusty rose! Perhaps I'd opt for Baker Miller pink, under the circumstances? (LOL). No really, any chance they can be turned loose with the color wheel of paint options and that something like a consensus would result?

I am glad to get to read this blog on a regular basis. So sweet and funny what your darling ones come up with.

Chickenone said...

Tertiary colors? That made me giggle. I love that not only are primary colors not acceptable, but secondary also.

I've appreciated your recent visits to my blog. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better through yours.

Unknown said...

Oops! I was helping my friend, chickenone, post a youtube video and I forgot to sign out of her account. This is actually Mary-LUE of Life, the Universe and Everything. Sorry about that!

Anonymous said...

Tertiary? WOW! And isn't that TODD WORLD on the walls? I love Todd and his friends! Especially the Worminis. You're NEVER too old for Todd World! Great post. I needed a cheer up tonight. Vile mood,I tell you, vile mood!

Stomper Girl said...

Lilac and dusty rose are some of my favourite shades too. I'm still waiting in fear to be told something is too babyish for my eldest (6). So far he has not noticed that his Wiggles / Thomas the Tank Engine underpants might earn the scorn of some of his more sophisticated schoolmates...

Domestic Goddess said...

Oh. My.Word. That is so flipping cute!

We left behind animals at our old house. I haven't painted the older child's room yet, but I know he wants lime green or red and cars. Sigh.

John Robison said...

I like that machine he is sitting on in the top photo, but I can't tell what it is. What is it?

And it's good he is developing an appreciation of complex colors. When I was a little bit older than your son, my favorites were the firemist shades developed by General Motors for their Cadillac automobiles.

Those were some of the first mass-produced metallics that changed color as you moved your head in sunlight.

Laura said...

They know tertiary colors?!! I don't think my husband would be able to name even the secondary colors! I love that room! My sons both like to sleep in younger son's room - the nursery with the frog theme: Look at Mr. Frog/Sitting on his log/Admiring the day/no trouble on the way. Yeah, I think we're due for an update, too! Older son's room is more of a jungle/rainforest, but since he does his therapy in there, he doesn't like to sleep in there anymore.

Unknown said...

Tertiary! ROFL That's too funny! That sounds like something "Ronn" would say. Too funny.

Lilac and Dusty Rose. ROFL - Our kids would get along great

We painted the boys room a nice medium blue. Plain. He loves it.

Melanie said...

What a cute story! I love it. Made me smile.

Jerry Grasso said...

I love that your son is so exact in his color descriptions...but the color choice...how Californian of him :-)

Jordan McCollum said...

That's adorable--and amazing. We're thinking about letting our son pick the colors of his room next year, but since he'll be two, I'd be more than happy to get "boo" or "geen" out of him.

(PS I enjoy your writing style!)

 
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