Preschool Zoo

Before Easter break, Jack's teachers sent home a styrofoam tray, the kind in which ground meat is packaged, and a note saying that the kids are to create an animal on the tray for the school zoo.  The animal could be real or imagined and made out of any materials available.  This is the kind of project that would have sent me into a tailspin as a kid -- my imagination is limited as are my creative skills.  Maybe that is why I kind of forgot about the project until Saturday night, two nights before the animal was due at school.

When I read the instructions to Jack on Saturday an hour before bedtime, I was kicking myself for waiting until the last minute.  Jack thought for a few minutes, requested some paper, asked if centaurs had tails and went off to gather his tinker toys.  My mother and I looked at each other, mystified and a little excited because we knew he'd come back with something we'd never imagine much less make into reality.  A few minutes later, he came back asking for "a round picture of Bonnie's face.  Just the face, Mom!"  We went to the computer, I fired up iPhoto and he browsed until he found a picture that satisfied his needs.  20 minutes after he began his project, the Bonnietaur was born -- half horse, half beautiful baby, all the product of my boy's amazing mind.  He wanted to use one of Barbie doll's hair extensions for the tail to make it "more realistic" but Madam put the kibosh on that and no amount of pleading on his part would change her mind so Bonnietaur makes due with a paper tail instead.

Tom took Jack to school this morning so I didn't get to see his teachers' reactions to his "animal."  I can't wait to hear what they have to say about this one!