Noah, Entrepreneur

My son is an entrepreneur. He is always thinking of ways to make money. Sometimes I wonder if I should be worried? I mean, after all, I don't want to raise him to be materialistic or money hungry. I don't want to raise a Gordon Gekko (spot the movie reference). On the other hand I do want him to be sensible with his finances and he's not at all egoistic either, often telling us that he will give all the money to us. (On a side note he is very generous with any money he does have, always wanting to give a tip, from his own wallet, when we go out for a meal)

Today's money making idea? A weapons and model shop, or store (comment added by the man himself!), selling, well, from what I can see, mostly swords. Swords of all shapes and sizes, mostly made with his own fair hands. Swords ranging in price from £5.60 to £12.11. A bargain, I'm told.



There is one item that is clearly not a sword. Upon making enquiries I have been reliably informed that "This is a one of a kind. No, seriously, it's a one of a kind. It's either a bi-plane, bi=2 by the way, or you can use it as a weapon by throwing it and it spins, round and round". Very intriguing and fashioned from an old door handle spindle, some Meccano & the old bathroom locking mechanism!



How much do I love this boy? Let me count the ways...

Measuring À La Noah

"There's this guy in my class at school and he is so small. You wouldn't believe how small he is mum. If you chopped him off at the eyebrows and up you could use him as a metre stick!".

Need I say more?

Kissing For Cash

I had a job interview last week. The company I was working for went in to liquidation over the summer and I've been looking for another job ever since. We need me to get a job. The job interview last Friday was for the post of  school auditor for the local council and I really, really wanted it. It sounded so interesting and would be a great opportunity for me. Plus it was school hours and term time only - and we mothers know those are like gold dust!

I heard today that I wasn't successful. It's frustrating and not a little deflating but I have to take comfort in the fact that I have sor far applied for 2 jobs and have got called for interviews for both of them so that's something.

After I told Noah he told me how sorry he was and then went off to do whatever it is 7 year old boys do. After 5 minutes or so he came back and we have a conversation that went like this:

N: Mum, I have a job for you. Every day if you give me 5 kisses and 5 hugs - I'll pay you. That can be your job!
He then proceeded to 'collect' his kisses and hugs and then comes back a few minutes later with a handful of coins from his money box (around £1.50 or so - I definitely spotted a 50p and a £1 coin plus some coppers).

Me: Noah, I don't need or want to be paid for kissing and hugging you as they are my pleasure and I would in fact pay you for hugs and kisses.
He becomes insistent that he pays me and we argue/haggle over this finally settling on my just keeping 1p.

N: Just think mum if you do this every day for the next year you will get £3.65, £3.66 in a leap year. And you can do shifts if you'd like!

THIS is what being a parent is all about. Better than any paid employment.

A Whale Of A Time

Yes, quite literally, I've been having a whale of a time. A 7ft 6in, according to Richard, who is a man and obviously needs to know these things precisely, whale of a time.


Why (and yes, I've asked myself this many times over the last 2 weeks)? The crêche at church are currently telling the story of Jonah and they asked, as they have this idea from somewhere that I'm 'crafty', if I had any ideas? Well, I always have ideas I'm just not sure if I should in future tell people what they are because before you know it you've volunteered to make a HUGE papier maché whale! And I've never done any papier maché before!

So where to start? Obviously first step was to search the web for 'papier maché whale'. Results? None, unless you wanted to make a little 12" 2D whale to put on the wall. The other end of the search fell in to the 'I want to make a whale as big as a house for my museum' category. Not helpful. So it was back to having to use my creativity and come up with a way to do this. The main problem was creating the framework for the papier maché to be laid onto. I briefly went down the route of 'can I find balloons big enough to support my whale sized proportions' but quickly discarded this as no, I probably couldn't. Chicken wire saved the day - and I have the scars to prove it!

After that the rest was easy, if not time consuming. The most frustrating part was waiting for it to dry between applying layers and the fact that it was a 3D object which meant covering all sides of it.

So my life this last week or so has consisted of: papier maché, dry, turn, papier maché, dry, turn, papier maché, dry ... I'm sure you get the picture.

He went down a treat though. And yes, I do mean he. It's definitely not a she - just ask Noah. He complained when I once referred to it as a she, "but mum, I'm surrounded by girls, there are already 4 in this house and only 2 boys, can it be please be a boy whale?".

Who's the 4th girl? Well that's a post for another time but I will tell you it's a hamster named Ruby.

"I'm Only Good At 2 Things Mum"

That's according to him that is:

Me: What are you good at?
Noah: Maths and ICT. Do you know what ICT is? Well, I've learnt how to break a laptop using only my fingers!

LOL, what can I say to that?

Apparently he told the teacher but she said not to worry "it was only a spring".

Tours and Hazards

We have my two nieces staying with us at the moment, Billie (aged 6) and Perrie (aged 12).

Noah was telling Billie about taking her on a tour of his school while they were going to Easter club. The conversation went something like this:

Noah: I'll take you on a tour of my school if you'd like?
Billie: What's a tour?
Noah: Well, it's like if I took you on a tour of my house I'd show you where everything was, like the toilet and stuff, and where all the hazards are.
Billie: Oh
Noah: I can tell you one hazard! NEVER bother my mum at night! Unless you have had a bad dream or there's something wrong.

My Mother's Day (Late Post)

Yes, Mother's day was weeks ago but hey, I'm a mum, I'm busy!

I had one of the most fantastic mother's days ever. But top of my pleasures was the two poems that Noah and Harriet wrote for me. First Harriet's:

Your lots of fun!
Our mum is really cool.
Underestimated love.
Rest today, you rule!
Dangerous, I know, we are.
Always; I shout in the car.
U never get mad.
Go mum!
Happy smiles, laughs and fun
Till we drop down on the floor
Everyone laughs some more.
Ready 2 go.
Loving to show,
Ordinary skill!
Very beautiful,
Everyone adores u!
Still the mum we loved forever!
Your
Our
Understanding mum!

And if you look at the poem the first letters of each line spell out 'YOUR DAUGHTER LOVES YOU' - how cute is that? She also wrote in her card 'I love you, this poem isn't great! It's all I could think of. It's kind of messy and uneat, but I hope you see the love underneath these words!'.

And now for Noah's: (he opens it with the words 'and tada!'

Oh I no my mum is grete
she is not fish bait
and if she was a animale
she would be in a crate.

Hmmmm... not sure what his point is there but hey, it rhymes :D

Noah-ism #4

Tonight, Richard and Noah were talking during the bedtime routine. Talking, specifically, about Noah's 'list'. A list he keeps. A list of his friends.

Noah: I have to put down gently one of my friends and take her off the list.
Richard: Who's that Noah?
Noah: Ellie
Richard: Oh, why?
Noah: Due to technical difficulties.

Ahhh, the fickleness of young love. Ellie was his secret crush, the love of his life, the girl he was going to marry. And now she is reduced to being taken off his list, albeit gently, due to technical difficulties!

Overheard

Just this minute, by me, and uttered by Noah (who is sitting in the play room creating something on the computer):

"This is mediocre!"

Noah's Christmas List

Well, his first draft anyway, he's working on the revised version.

For those of you who can't read six-ese it reads:

• My Sims Kingdom on Wii


• A real wand


• A black robe


• Wizards glasses


• £400,000


• A shop

Now there's a boy with an agenda although I can't help thinking that if he manages to get hold of no.2 on his list he'll be able to acquire all of the rest with no problems!

Charity Begins At Home?

The old adage seems true... at least it does in our house according to Noah.

It was my birthday yesterday (thanks for the birthday cards and wishes, I had a lovely day) and the children woke me with cards and presents and singing.

All except Noah that is who came, literally with 'cup in hand', and announced that as of yesterday he was starting a charity. For himself!!! He is an avid collector of coins... he doesn't feel as if he has enough... and apparently he needs more.

The things this not quite 6 year old comes out with never ceases to amaze me.