Feb - March Progress on the Pram

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Henry:  I saw five deer.  I saw a deer itch.  I played baseball; Dad won.  We made a pattern.  I am done with my science project.  To make a good pattern, trace then poke your holes then bend lines and you are done.  I am writing and this is my 7^th sentence.  

Dad:  The pattern is made of cereal box cardboard and folds around the bow and transom sections’ corners which are then cut out for the inwale and chine braces to fit into.  The angle is tricky.

30 – 40 minutes and H is ready for outdoor activity.  One-on-one baseball with ghost runners is a good way to wrap it up. 

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Henry:   Today Dad and I got the bottom parts and sides of the boat filed.  Dad and I made a snow fort.  We put the keelson on the boat.   I can not wait to get in the boat. 

Thursday, March 7^th

Henry:  Dad and I filed for 25 minutes.  I said, “What do you want to do or be?”  Dad said he would go sailing in Thailand.  I said two days before I would be in the Olympics of snowboarding. 

I said to Dad, “What if fish could say alive if they were frozen?”  Dad said, “Fish thaw out.” 

Dad:  Stuff tumbles around in a 10 year old’s head.  In a garage away from the homework table and kitchen where chores get assigned as if an alarm trips when you enter and automatic voice calls out, “Unload the dish washer, set the table, cut some salad…” we are in a garage with files in our hands, and thoughts spawn without assignment or grades.  It all stays there when we have to return. 

Friday, March 8^th

Henry:  Today I worked on the boat.  I worked on some stringers.  Stringers are a piece on the bottom of the about to support it.  When Dad and I stepped out side to get back to the house, I saw the moon come up.   Dad told me about the stars and the solar system how the moon goes around us and we go around the sun.

Dad:  Even though the sky details were already well known to Henry, there is a tangible-ness to the shapes and orbits when you see a full moon rise over the top of a forest on a clear night, so close, so quiet, so real.

Saturday, March 9^th

Henry:  Today Dad and I saw that we had to take a board out of the boat.  But we the the right board in.  After that Dad and I played football.  Dad won of course.

Dad:  Tackle football in the front lawn; just pushing each other around for a TD or two.  Good times from garage to lawn.

Sunday, March 10^th

Henry:  Today I worked on the boat.  Dad and I did screwing and gluing.  We had to take three screws to put in one board.  Dad and I played football.  I kicked really good.  Dad won.   We put some wire up.  I found worms and fed them to the chickens.  Today I found all different sorts of bugs.   I also played with Kyle.

Dad:  The inwale beams took extra screws to connect to the bow section.   Amazing how much the wood bends.   We unrolled some chicken wire to keep the hens from strolling into the woods.  Lost one to a coyote last week.

Tuesday, March 12^th

Henry:  Today, Dad and I are kind of done.   We have cut and filed.  We cut and filed the chines, the stringers and the keelson.  While I was working I thought of playing baseball if it had not rained.  I showed Dad and told Dad about snowboarding, and how I went on the rail.  It was fun working on the boat with the best Dad ever.

Dad:  A piece of 2x4 and a triangular wedge of wood became H’s skate park.  He re-enacted his snowboarding runs and rigged up a slide rail.   We just shared the space of the room and had a boat project to anchor the time together.

Monday, March 26^th

Henry:  Today I got one more side on the boat.  The sides are done.  We glued and nailed the last side on to the boat.  My hands are all sticky from the glue.  It took a long time to get a little glue off.  While Dad was getting the last bit of glue on to the side of the boat, I was making a skateboard ramp.

Dad:  Big progress.  The bottom next. 

1.5 hrs