On Wednesday Aaron went with me to a Chamber of Commerce meeting. I'm on the board of directors and this is the first time he attended. He asked to speak and they gave him time to talk about activities for children.

He's been asking around to see what the children in our town want, to alleviate boredom. Most of them suggested a skateboard park. The Chamber members suggested a BMX track instead because there's a space available and let's face it - mounds of dirt are cheaper than wooden skateboarding structures. Aaron agreed that's a good idea and is given the responsibility to find out what volunteer labor is available. I'm going to help him formulate a business plan for the project.

After the meeting he wanted to go play pool at the Family Resource Center. Fortunately there was another child there already, waiting for a partner. They also played a few rounds of air-hockey.
  ¶ 6:46 AM  

  I'm re-posting Aaron's garden-tool wishlist...

Aaron's been working on creating a garden/picnic area in the backyard. Here's a wishlist he just gave me - of things he'd like to have to work on this project:

2 dumptruck loads of dirt for raised planter by the creek

lots of lumber for raised planters

truck load of gravel for picnic table to be on

wheelbarrow

2 shovels - one like a snow shovel

rake

woodchipper

weedwhacker

blackberry trimmers - long handle and short handle (We got the long-handled one.)

logs

seeds - birdseeds and flower seeds

stepping stones

gas for lawnmower

picnic table

ladder to get blackberry vines out of trees

pipes - big rubber ones to make bridges over the backyard creek

black plastic (thick) to discourage poison oak growth

trees - fruit trees (2)

1 bird bath or a sundial

1 compass to set the sundial in the right direction

1 machete for cutting down blackberry bushes

[It wasn't on his list but he's also got his heart set on getting a Japanese "snow lantern" for his garden area. He's been watching home & garden TV and must have seen something about one on there.]
  ¶ 6:35 AM  

  I spent some time with Aaron in the out-back part of our yard. He's been doing a self-motivated landscaping project... and has made a lot of changes. There's a seasonal creek bed (now dry) that was obscured by blackberry bushes and poison oak. He's been removing the bushes. He has poison oak but doesn't seem to care much and doesn't scratch at it. Its hard to describe what's been done... it is a LOT of work and he's been going at it for about three weeks now. Today's task was to dig out some of the old creekbed. He also built a stone-walled path from the house to his hide-away. There's two lounge chairs out there now and I sat in one talking to him for a while. I can see why he chose the place to landscape. Its shady all the time, peaceful and has a beautiful view.
  ¶ 11:57 PM  

  Today Aaron and his best friend took a hike north of town to see a canyon where cars were abandoned thirty or forty years ago. They had a great time exploring the abandoned cars and brought me an old bottle he found... I've never seen anything quite like it. He wants me to take pictures of the cars, but I just don't have time today. He had a great afternoon hanging out with his friend. They hadn't seen each other in about a week and Aaron was getting lonely - so I was glad to see his friend here too!
  ¶ 5:39 PM  

  Aaron decided to make dinner for us again tonight: brown rice and broccoli. It was good. He likes to drench his in soy sauce.

Now he's out with our neighbors; they're looking for a new engine to put in their Subaru. Its nice we live next to mechanically inclined people who don't mind teaching Aaron and having him around.

Another project he's working on is to turn his bedroom into a private office space for me. He worked on floor plans and furniture styles today. Yesterday he found a yellow ceramic lamp at the dump - got it free... it needed rewiring and he did that last night right before he went to sleep. He plans to paint a small table we have black, and put the lamp on it between two chairs (for clients). My desk, which he wants to design and build himself, is to be on the other side of the room.

Aaron's bed will go into the living room for now - that's where he always sleeps anyhow! I'd like to replace it with something more appropriate for a living room soon.

Since Aaron's always had trouble maintaining and enjoying his bedroom, this will be a good solution for him, to get out from under the problem.
  ¶ 6:16 PM