Hamslice Hillbilly

We close on our new house on Wednesday, and we are already having an adventure about this place. It turns out that a house like this (super old) is a real challenge to buy. The assessed value has come in from different vendors (Mortgage/insurance) in such a range that Hambone and I just started laughing. One estimate came in 30% higher than what we are paying, and the other came in 3 1/2 TIMES higher than our price.

However, the house nets out as un-mortgageable and uninsurable through traditional venues because nobody can really get a handle on the value of the property. When I broke the news to Hambone, he looked at me like I was a toddler trying to drive a car. "Let me handle it" he says. He thinks it's hilarious when I try to work on a rehab property.

And for all of you who have been jonesing for pics of our new house, here's a bunch of them.

The photo above is of the house when it was new -- 130 years ago. Note the lack of trees!

This photo shows the house with the old carriage cover across the front. We're planning to rebuild that.

Blessed, Golden Silence

I have excellent news to report: we are now going on FOUR WEEKS without a single phone call or incident report sent home from camp about Hamslice. I feel like we may be getting a peek of sunshine over here, and I am encouraged to think that we may be able to pull off this parenting thing afterall.

Well. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

At any rate, he has made it through two weeks of Club Scientific (which he looooved) and he is now in Camp Puh'tok which is more of a general "fun summer camp" which he finds a bit dull.

Here are my tips for success:
1) Per AB's advice -- every morning I let Hamslice know that I have meetings "all day" so he can't pitch a fit and have me pick him up. This is key. Thank you AB.

2) We are keeping a closer eye on Hamslice. It is getting pretty clear when he's worn out from too much camp, and every few weeks we give him a day off. These days off help him reset and tackle some more time with "the mortals."

We have also come to the end of our intensive therapy over the summer, so now things will be a little more normal. It is nice to have my home office back to myself again to actually get some work done!

Silence. Blessed, golden silence.

Deposing Woody Allen

During the course of Hamslice's treatment and further assessments, we're learning that his giant brain is causing the following combination of adverse sensory issues:

• Visual Hyperstimulation
• Auditory Hyperstimulation
• Vestibular Hyperstimulation
• Proprioceptive Hypostimulation

In an nutshell, this means that everything he sees, feels and hears drives him slightly crazy. He also has no idea where his body is most of the time, so that makes him very nervous about movements such as leaning, balancing, floating on his back and so on.

So basically, without treatment, he would turn into Woody Allen. (Thanks to Nina for connecting the dots here.)

We also found it ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING that the treatment for this exact set of symptoms is to get him outside doing things like mowing the lawn, vacuuming, weeding, and walking the dog. And I am completely not sh*tting you about this.

I started laughing when the Occupational Therapist described the kinds of activities that would help him -- she said it in all clinical terms, but then demonstrated the movements, and I was like ... Oh. I recognize those.

And immediately, Hambone and I felt like Hamslice needed a BIG dose of therapy, so we bought a house in the country (Sparks, to be exact) with a huge lawn to mow, and lots of painting and repairs to do. Oh yes, we'll fix that boy up in a jiffy. 

So, we leave the city behind us. We're projecting a move date in about 12 months, and are full committed to rushing the project to get in there sooner. Onto a healthier life for us all. Exurbia, here we come!

Hamslice - The results are in.

As many of you know, Hamslice had a rather disappointing K1 year in school. We took him home in April full time after his school determined he was Autistic.

Since then we have been going to multiple specialists, trying to get a handle on the truth. Hambone and I were pretty certain the Autism suspicion was not the actual issue but we were really confused at Hamslice's behavior and effect on adults.

The school referred us to one of the top autism specialists in Maryland, who tested him extensively and concluded that no, he is not autistic. We also had his IQ and cognitive function tested to see if there was indeed a screw loose somewhere.

 His tests came back like this: IQ score puts him in the 95th percentile for intelligence in general, with 'Very superior' ability in Verbal (99th percentile) and some gaps in processing speed and performance IQ. This means he has a little trouble getting his thoughts into writing and processing them into communication for the rest of us.

However, Hamslice was tested under the assumption that he had already had a kindergarten curriculum, and he had not. We suspect his scores would be a little higher had he been tested under the correct educational level. He was also diagnosed with a touch of ADHD combination type with impulsive behaviors.

 So... good news right? It's definitely better news than we were expecting. The Autism spectrum disorders did sound a little like our guy so we had been concerned.

 However, we still have a little guy who has a hard time behaving himself. He is smart enough to know how to get out of tasks through throwing tantrums, and he is stubborn enough to stick with it to the bitter end. For example, I have been teaching him to play the piano, which addresses a lot of his coding and processing gaps. When he has to learn a new song (decode notes, encode into fingerings, get reward through sound) he simply refuses to do it. And the longer I make him sit, the more he amps up his resistance with creative tantrums. So far we have one chair through the wall, one wall decorated with finger scrapes, and one ivory torn off the piano. The harder the task, the worse the tantrum.

 If he goes somewhere that includes an activity he doesn't find stimulating, he does the damnedest things. One time he drooled on a kid, the next time he walked over and felt the boobs of the instructor, once he just started saying "beep" so loud we got kicked out.

What do we do with this genius.

 We are absolutely at a loss about where to send him to school. We wound up opting for the local public school because at least then it won't be a hassle to pick him up every day. And it will probably be EVERY DAY.

Some friends of ours said we need to get in touch with the special ed teacher to build an enhanced curriculum for him. And I have to smile a bit because ... really? We will try it, but if he starts beeping and drooling in the regular class, he'll never make it to the enhanced curriculum part.

We have been doing some reading of our own, and the best book so far is "Children: The Challenge" by Rudolf Dreikurs. This at least trained Hambone and me how to manage the tantrums and to encourage Hamslice in a way that focuses on what he does well so he doesn't worry so much about performing in his gaps. It has been really helpful.

 But probably the biggest turnaround for us since leaving school is what happened when we started making Hambone TRY things. He would have a tantrum, but we stuck with it and made him try things. Finish things. And for him to learn about the pride of accomplishment and the joy of achieving what he thought was not possible has helped him understand that maybe tantrums aren't the answer.

So... one day at a time. At least today it isn't Autism. Maybe tomorrow we will make it through a full day of cooperation and happiness.

Testing into CAMO White Belt

It has been a very big week for Hamslice. This weekend he learned to ride a big boy bike, and last night he earned his first belt in Kung Fu! We are so proud of our little guy. He's learning to face challenges and use courage. We are rooting for you little guy!

Biking!

We had an exciting weekend -- Grandma and Grandpa came to town, cousin D moved in, and Hamslice learned to ride a bike!

We are so proud of Hamslice-- look at this video!

Hamslice Homebody

So we wound up pulling Hamslice out of school in the beginning of April. There were too many things that didn't add up regarding his in-school behavior, and it seemed like time for Mom and Dad to take a turn with him to see what's what.

We have been having a marvelous time getting to know each other better, and learning how to be good partners to each other. I've read eight parenting books, which has been helpful, and Hamslice has been in an atmosphere where he knows he is surrounded by people who love him, which has also been helpful.

Our grand adventure started in the mountains of West Virginia on a camping trip with friends. It was chilly but had a lot of fun.

 

At home, we've started Hamslice on some routines to help him work independently and learn how to have fun with others. He is now taking piano lessons with me (which completes my transformation INTO MY MOTHER) and he has learned all the rules of Chess. Chess is now his favorite pass time, and he has been consistently beating me even when I don't help him. 

He is also reading and writing for at least an hour a day, which he is becoming very proud of after a bit of initial resistance. His alphabet looks good, and he just finished a letter to Auntie Bet.

We're very proud of him, and hopeful that his next school year will go a little better.

Homebound Hamslice

We pulled Hamslice out of school. The day after my last post (that would be April 19, 2013) we had a meeting with the teachers, Principal and school therapist again. The "action plan" that the school developed for Hamslice was to hire a baby sitter to sit with him all day long.

Hambone and I said "Hell to the No" and pulled him out immediately. This means he hasn't been in school since April 12.

Since then Hamslice has blossomed into a new kid. His play style is now nurturing and friendly, he has been learning how to stick with projects and do tasks that he initially thinks are too difficult, and for the first time in a long time he's proud of himself. He is learning to play the piano, and he is playing chess like a master.

He is also talking for the first time about what happened at the school. He told me yesterday how the teachers would lock him in the cubby room (which is a fancy word for closet) for long stretches of time without giving him an opportunity to earn his release by calming down or by performing a proper behavior. They also put him in there without explaining to him how long he would be in there, so he was terrified. Isolated. Singled out.

He said that other kids in the class would throw tantrums like he did, but nobody else was put in the closet. I am horrified. mortified. terrified about putting him back in any school.

How could the teachers generate such an adult dislike for our son?  Man... he's 5 years old.

Hambone's Birthday

Monday was Hambone's birthday. We went out for dinner at Little Havana, like we do every Monday with the Ps. We're sad that the Ps are leaving for Malaysia in July, but we are enjoying them for now.

When they heard it was Hambone's birthday, they ordered cake and took some celebration pics for us. =)

Hamslice Sleepover

Last weekend Hamslice had one of his best friends come over for a sleep over. This was the first sleepover event for both of them, and it was a blast.

They started out mellow with some iPad time, showing each other their favorite games and coaching each other on technique. 

After dinner Mom thought it would be fun to roast marshmallows over the fire pit in the back yard, but of course I didn't have any in the house. The boys settled in with a move (Monster House) with Dad while I scoured all of Federal Hill for a bag of properly sized marshmallows. There were none in the entire area, but I did find some peeps that were left over from Easter in the CVS. It turns out they are delicious when roasted over a fire. =)

 In the morning, these two best buds went for a scooter ride down by the harbor. They were both full of stunts and energy, and Elwood the dog was ready to keep up with the action!

 And then they settled in for a little more iPad time while we his friend's grandparents were en route to pick him up. What a terrific weekend, and what a great experience for Hamslice and his friend.

Hamslice Math Marathon and the DV Estate

Last weekend Hambone, Hamslice and I piled into the truck and headed for Michigan to help Dad close out his estate. We had a huge garage sale that included selling 4 boats and most of Dad's stuff that was left over from raising the kids, working on the house in Saugatuck and being married to my Mom.

The fringe benefit of the sale was that uncle C and I could comb through and nab little tidbits of our "old" family to keep for posterity. My favorite DV collectibles are the family photos. There were probably no greater nerds on earth than we were, and the pictures are in and of themselves, hilarious.

Mom made these outfits by hand. BY HAND! Think of the hours of meticulous work she put in on our behalves.

Hamslice did not find the weekend as hilarious and interesting as I did, however, so he spent the majority of the trip counting to one hundred (frontward and backward) and then counting by twos. He happily sing a song over and over in the back seat that went "one plus one is two, two plus two is four, four plus four is eight, eight plus eight is sixteen, sixteen plus sixteen is thirty two, thirty two plus thirty two is sixty four, sixty four plus sixty four is one hundred twenty eight, one hundred twenty eight plus one hundred twenty eight is two hundred fifty six, two hundred fifty six plus two hundred fifty six is five hundred twelve, five hundred twelve plus five hundred twelve is one thousand twenty four...."  Hambone had to help with most of the numbers after 32, but we got there.

Suddenly I the memory scheme of computers and bit speed of modems started making sense to me as I listened to the song. LOL

Hambone has no comment on the trip. Except to say that he gets to plan the next one.

Hamslice Swimming Lessons

We've started sending Hamslice to swimming lessons because, well, it's a good idea to know how to swim. He loooooooooves his swim teacher, and he does more swimming with her than he's ever done with me or Hambone.

We're just glad he's learning. It should make trips to the pool and beach much more fun.

Really Challenging Days.

So I believe I'll keep this note as a draft until everything is resolved, but I need to put these thoughts somewhere, so let's go with a "Draft only" post.

I am so freaked out by the problems Hamslice is having at school. Here's what happened:

After we went off to counseling at the school's recommendation, things seemed to be getting better. There were only positive notes home, no more phone calls, and all seemed well. The counselor said that we were doing great and we were all done. I asked her to make a final phone call to the school and explain our progress and decision, and see if there was more to do. I didn't hear back, so I thought we were fine.

We went in for Hamslice's Show and Tell day (called Museum Day at his school) and the teacher asked when he was going back for another appointment. I smiled and said we were all done and that everyone was doing great.

The next day, (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT WAS THE NEXT DAY!!) I get  a phone call from the principal saying that Jake had been very bad for the past several weeks and that we need to come in for a special parent teacher meeting with the principal. I also got a call from Hamslice's therapist saying that the school had called her to let her know he had been acting up in school for the past several weeks and that he needs to come in for more counseling. The next day I get a call from his teacher. I was like "Let me guess, he's been acting up the past few weeks?" But by this time I was pretty mad. I told his teacher that I refused to believe an aggregate phone call like this, and that if we have to be in counseling, I need to know what is happening on the day it happens and what the behaviors are that need to stop. She said "I'm sorry you feel that way."

That was last Friday. I spent most of the weekend crying in frustration.

Monday we went in for our emergency counseling meeting, and the therapist was well-armed with "things the school need from Hamslice that are different than what he's doing right now."

But I had been talking with Hamslice as well, because he had been having vivid and terrifying nightmares for the past week and a half. He is so stressed out that he has a 'bad feeling' when he goes to the bathroom -- he feels like everyone can see him doing his business in the bathroom and he's super embarrassed all the time. He feels like the teachers don't listen to him and don't believe what he says. And he's so close to the end of his rope that any little thing sets him off.

It is an emergency.

So as luck would have it, Hamslice had a little cough this week and a little bit of laryngitis. I used that as an excuse to keep him home for the whole week. During this time I have seen him relax and stop having nightmares. The tantrums are slowing down and getting a little more rational. We have had many in-depth discussions about what people expect of us when we go out of our house, and what we can do with our anger instead of flipping out.

He feels better but this isn't over. I'm reluctant to send him back to school -- just today the teachers sent a video of his classmates all saying that they miss him. Hamslice asked that I only play half of the video because he was afraid the bad feeling would come back. And so now I'm crying again.

Hamslice Update

For all of you who have written in about my post regarding Hamslice's evaluation request from school, let me thank you for all of your support. It makes me grateful every day to have such good friends online and offline.

Here's an update: After a rigorous behavioral evaluation it turns out there is no syndrome and nothing really "wrong" with Hamslice. This means we've ruled out learning disabilities, Turret's, Aspergers' and whatnot. The next step is an intellectual evaluation to see if the real problem is boredom, as Hambone and I have suspected all along.

The results so far are very encouraging, and we're hoping this all wraps up fairly soon so we can talk with the school about next year and how we can make the experience more interesting for our [healthy,  normal] son.

Mitochondria and MicroTubules

On Saturday afternoon, Hamslice got his wish to go back to the MD Science Center. We bypassed the physics and geology stuff this time, as well as the dinosaur exhibit (his usual favorites) and went straight to the Human Body exhibit.

Here we saw a video about how the lungs work -- we even saw blood cells in the alveola. We also saw how heart valves work. Hamslice watched these videos several times (you can rewind the video by pressing the button on the display).

Then we did a walking tour of a human cell. The display was actually pretty cool because you could walk between the Golgi bodies and see the endoplasmic reticulum and other organelles all working together. We saw a hilarious video about micro tubules 'walking' through cells. That one we watched three or four times.

On the way home, Hamslice started running and said "I'm breaking apart my Mitochondria to make energy!" and that's been a running joke ever since. 

Excessive Indoor Farming

This weekend we had eggs for breakfast, finishing up a carton of eggs. I said to Hambone and Hamslice "Oh good --  now we can plant some seeds for spring." I was, of course, envisioning 12 nice little plants that we could install in our yard in a few weeks when it gets warm.

Hambone went to Lowe's to "get some supplies" for this project, which I should have recognized as a sign of trouble. Four hours later, this is our seed project. If these all sprout, we will have about 150 plants.

Evaluating Hamslice

As you may have noticed over the last few months, Hamslice has been the source of many a fracas at his new school. However, unlike his Montessori school (or possibly because Hamslice is now too old to have a meltdown overlooked) his new school has taken notice.

They broached the topic with us slowly: first a phone call or two, then some additional emails. His parent teacher conference was a mixed review. Then came extra meetings and daily phone calls. Sometimes two phone calls. Then requests to pick him up from school.

Yesterday we had a meeting with Hamslice's two teachers, the student counselor, the student liaison/success counselor (I can't really remember her title, just her name) and the principal. They recommended (and we agree) that it's time to have a professional evaluation of our little guy. Actually two professional evaluations.

So I have set appointments for his testing, including the WISC  using recommended professionals from the school. Hambone and I see this as a positive move, getting to the bottom of what's going on with Hamslice. The outcomes could be very positive in that he could be assessed as gifted, or the outcome could be more mixed, such as high intellect, low physical abilities or maybe a blend of a behavioral issue with physical.

We are optimistic and we believe in our son. We know there's a good guy in there.

But it's time for everyone to get on the same page. We are all ready to just know.

Hamslice Valentine

Yesterday Hamslice and I walked through the Cross Street Market on the way home from the bus stop. All the vendors were decked out in hearts and all the Valentine kerfluffery that comes with this time of the year.

Hamslice liked all the hearts and thought they looked nice. Then he asked me in a very serious voice, "Why are the all red, instead of one half red and one half blue?"

I asked him to explain his question because he asked it like an adult -- and I could tell there was more to the question than aesthetic preference. He said "When the blood comes back from the body, it doesn't have any oxygen, so it's blue. That makes half of the heart blue. The other half is red because the blood is ready to go back into the body."

I said that this was definitely true, and that the hearts he saw in the market were "Marketing Hearts" that are just supposed to make people happy, and that biology hearts (the real hearts in our body) are half red and half blue.

Thinking back, Hamslice just made a heart-shaped thank you card for his grandparents, and I believe he colored it half red and half blue. I didn't think about it at the time.

I don't know exactly where he learned this, but I suspect it was part of our marathon Science Center day during Christmas Break.

But I have to rock back on my heels in amazement, just for a minute. Wow.

Little Bit High... Little Bit Low

There have been lots of ups and downs with Hamslice these days. His behavior issues at school have been both completely resolved and completely out of control, depending on who you talk to and on what day.

For instance, this week he had three FANTASTIC days in a row where he was cooperative and sweet (Yes we celebrate a three day streak. Shoot, we celebrate ONE good day.) and his teachers were happy with his demeanor and performance.

Fast forward to Thursday, and I get a call from the counselor's office that he is out of the classroom because he was punching his teacher and having a world class temper tantrum.

Then Friday was great again.

Today we took Hamslice to a kid's fitness class for something to do. His teachers have observed some issues with coordination and muscle control, so we also wanted to observe him in a more physical setting.

I'm not sure how long it will take to forget the slow-motion horror of realizing that the kid who spit on the most adorable little girl in the class was, indeed, Hamslice. And it wasn't a little pitooie spit, it was a full mouthful of drool that he poured into her lap.

After a frosty car ride home (we decided not to yell at him, instead we waited until he was ready to talk about his little drool trick) he revealed that he had spit on the girl because he felt she was sitting too close, and also he had noticed that the class looked like it was about to get really boring and he knew that making a scene was a sure-fire way to be removed from the class.

*Sigh* I guess it's time to talk about making good choices... again...

Small Talk with Mom and a Letter from AB

Yesterday Hambone threw a tailgate party for his workers, and Hamslice and I were invited share in the cedar-smoked hams and turkeys. Big Dave brought the big smoker grill and prepared the meats right in the parking lot in real tailgate fashion.

So good.

After the meal, the guys all went outside for the grand finale -- Big Dave threw all the extra wood on the grill and blasted flames high into the air. Hamslice wasn't interested in that, because he wanted to play games on my phone.  I said that I would stay with him if he promised to talk to me. And he agreed.

After a minute or so of silence, he said "So what's your favorite color?" and then after we established our favorite colors, he asked "What's your second favorite color?" And then I had to smile because I realized he was making small talk with me. Apparently, this is what five year olds chat about in the absence of actual activity. I felt like a peer. =)

We also received a letter from AB this week -- here's his video response, along with an interesting description of Martin Luther King.

Are the Holidays Over So Soon?

We're back from our extensive Midwest tour -- The trip consisted of 35 hours of driving through the wilds of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Iowa in a seven-day sweep!

We were able to see relatives in Iowa, Illinois and Michigan. All of them, in fact. I don't think we left anyone out this time. And it was super to see everyone again and spend some time in the Midwestern Native Environment. I'll miss all the smiles and "how do you do" attitude as we reinstate ourselves in the polite-but-extra-competitive landscape of Maryland.

Hamslice had a great time seeing his cousins. He was also excited to open his presents before we disembarked. Here's his favorite zombie book:



And here's Hamslice during the three "hanger on" days after our trip, when he and I worked hard to fill the days. On Thursday we spent 3 hours in the science museum learning all about dinosaurs, earthquakes, and of course the digestive track. (eeeewww)

In this particular photo, he's supposed to be learning about how weight displacement works, but really he's just up there because the nice lady offered to hold his hand.

Xmas Program -- BAH HUMBUG!

This morning was Hamslice's Holiday program at school. He was excited about it when I was getting him ready for school in the morning. He saw me putting on my Christmas sweater, and he said "Make sure you wear your Finest Diamonds too!  It was cute to see how much he was anticipating the program.

However, once the program started (and he realized he had to actually perform the program instead of watching it from my lap) things changed a bit. He started out shy, then he sang part of one song. His grand finale was a scowl that would have curdled milk, after which he climbed off the back of the risers and sat backward.

So I suppose a career on Broadway is out.

Happy Hamslice

Hamslice pre-scowl

Santa's Helpers in Fed Hill

So Saturday night seems to have been the Night of 100 Santas. As we were walking with Hamslice to dinner, we saw the scene (above) in one of the bars between here and there.

Hamslice says to me "Are those Santa's Helpers?"

I said "Of course! And they're building the Naughty and Nice list RIGHT NOW"

Hamslice says, "I'm glad I was holding your hand when they saw me. That's nice, right?"

Ah. The magic of Christmas.

Hamslice Existential @ Xmas

Here we are in the midst of the second "Hamslice knows it's Christmas" year. This time around, he's become very bothered on an existential level with the amount of deception and lying taking place to create the Christmas Spirit.

For example, we all went shopping this weekend to buy gifts for each other -- Hamslice went with Dad to shop for Mom, and vice versa. He also knew we were shopping for him.

Hamslice is a pretty honest kid, so his first inclination when the three of us rejoined, was to tell us what he bought for us. When we told him he wasn't supposed to tell us, he teared up because he knew it was lying to not tell.

Furthermore, he wanted us to make sure we bought things for him. And instead of Hambone and me being forthcoming with what we bought, we said "Wait for Santa," which Hamslice knew was another lie.

I feel genuinely bad for him with all of this goofing around. I wonder if there's another way?

Merry Hamslice Christmas

This year we took Hamslice to see Santa in the Cross Street Market, as we do every year. However this time around, Hamslice had some very specific toy requests for the old man. We figure this is how he got over his Santaphobia!

About Moms

Today is the 5-year anniversary of the passing of my Mom. It makes me think a lot about her, our family, and my new family... Hamslice is five years old this year too.

And I think if he remembers anything about me after I'm gone, I'd like it to feel like this--

To Future Hamslice, Love Mom.

Happy Halloween!

Hamslice is very revved up for Halloween this year, especially since we've spent the last two days holed up in the house because of Hurricane Sandy. (The house et al. is fine, BTW)

Yesterday all the businesses were closed but the storm had moved out so we went to the movie "Hotel Transylvania" which is laugh out loud funny. After that we went to the mall, where Hamslice was able to sneak into this unmanned photo booth and we got this pic. You can tell he's in there because I told him to do it. Note the stale smile...

And this morning was his costume parade for school, so he wore his Skylander costume. Neither Hambone nor I know what a Skylander is. We suspect Hamslice doesn't either, but he liked the skeleton look and thinks the mask is pretty awesome. So there you have it. Happy Halloween Hamslice!

Fun pics from Aunt & Uncle

Hamslice got some fun mail from his aunt & uncle -- photos of their great day together this September!

Art Prize Grand Rapids

So a recap of ArtPrize is in order... The boys and I made the trek to Grand Rapids Michigan last weekend to see what all the fuss is about, and we had a really great time.

ArtPrize is a funky mix of "midwest fab" art with some highbrow classically trained art interspersed. I think the contrast and regionalism is what made it special for us. We really felt the event was true the Midwest (and we dearly love the Midwest), and that there is great art (by anyone's standard) taking place all over.

Here are some shots from ArtPrize, so you all can get the flavor...

This exhibit is of a moose with seven or so Wolves attacking it. I consider this "Taxidermy art" and I can't help but say that the taxidermy work was amazing. They all looked pretty alive to me.

Hamslice is standing here next to a tiger made of scrap wood and metal. These were very well done.

Here is an elephant made by the same artist. We really liked this exhbit

And a Rhino made of spare metal objects

This is a dragon .. a little bit of fantasy art here...

Hamslice wasn't scared of the dragon.

Here's Hamslice getting into the Chinese Lantern lighting. See the lanterns behind his head?

Here's Hambone becoming one with the art. We liked this TV frame.

What's not to love about a humungous chopper? See the person in the red jacket standing next to the seat? That's how big it was.

This installation of horses made of driftwood was cool no matter where you're from.

My favorite pieces were the ones where the audience was allowed to write stuff as part of the display. This one says "I told you they all leave, Tristan. Do you believe me now?"  How awesome is that. One of the other slips of paper in this piece said "I love boobies" and had a quick sketch of boobies on it.

Ah. Another huge chopper, this one is being driven by a skeleton

Skeleton chopper from a different angle

This is a huge black bird. Not a Raven, though.

This is a giant statue of President Ford's Head. You will only see this in Michigan, I believe.

Here's a nice robot family made out of spare Harley Davidson motorcycle parts.

This is a calliope made of junkyard stuff. It played a song and everything.

This is a seal sitting on a rock, but the whole thing is made out of one piece of wood. The craftsmanship here was unbelievable. I really thought this should win the $500,000 prize.

Aaaand then here's some tattoo art. Why not.

Pumpkin Carving!

This is the first year Hamslice has been old enough to get interested in actually carving his pumpkin. In earlier years we let him color his pumpkin with markers, but this time he definitely wanted it carved.

We gave him a Sharpie marker and he drew the outline of what he wanted cut out, and then Mom did the honors.

He's so happy with his pumpkin!

MMmmmm Chocolate Lava Cake

This weekend Hamslice discovered the magic of chocolate lava cake. It's chocolate cake with hot chocolate sauce inside the cake for a special surprise. Let's just say he was in hog heaven.