My real life friends have heard the condensed version of The Origami Master’s Revenge already. Indulge me, please, while I elaborate for my make-believe Internet friends.
Have I mentioned The Small One’s obsession with origami?
The child has true gift crafting any shape imaginable out of a teenytiny piece of paper. It keeps his avid brain and sticky hands occupied and out of trouble. For the most part.
Except for when he engages in this ancient art at school, in the back of the classroom, when he should be practicing his spelling words or his multiplication tables. I have a file folder full of friendly reminders from his third-grade teacher:
“The Small One was caught folding again during reading class this morning. Please speak to him about his choices.”
In a world full of classroom hitters, back-talkers, and pants-pee-ers, leave it to my child to get himself written up for folding.
It could be worse, right?
He has three huge shoeboxes full of his creations which he keeps under his bed. I throw them out by the handful when he isn’t looking marvel with him at his handiwork each and every time he comes up with something new.
His favorite masterpieces?
Hands-down, his Origami Yoda collection.
May the force be with your paper. Or something like that.
He has been credited with creating the World’s Smallest Origami Yoda, featured here upon a dime. Surely this will pay a portion of his college tuition, yes?
Last Tuesday, he proclaimed that he would be taking one of his Yodas to school to show his friends. ”At recess, Mom,” he assured me as he lovingly tucked Yoda into his shorts pocket.
I eased his backpack onto his shoulders. ”I sure hope so,” I chided. ”I don’t want to hear that you’ve been folding when you should be reading.” It took everything I had not to smirk as I heard the words coming out of my own mouth. I swatted his behind and shooed him out the door. I watched through the window as he loped down the driveway with one hand deep inside the pocket that held Origami Yoda.
Seven and a half hours later, I caught sight of him as I passed by the front window with a precariously stacked armload of laundry. His hands were outstretched before him, cupping something.
As he drew nearer and I saw what he was holding, I dropped the laundry {dammit!} and flung open the door.
“Hon?” I asked. ”What happened?”
He gazed at the pile of shredded paper in his hands for a moment longer before speaking. ”C’s friend ripped Yoda up on the bus on the way home.”
“Oooooohhhh,” I breathed. ”I am so sorry. Are you ok?”
He surprised me by meeting my concerned gaze with the sly grin that I have come to alternately love and dread.
“Meh. It’s ok. I’m going to make a whole army of Chuck Norris origamis and chuck them all at him on the bus tomorrow.”
And he did.
That’s my boy.
Inspired by a prompt from Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop: ”Tell about something your child said or did that surprised you.”
Oh, how dare he fold some paper in reading class?! *sarcasm* I think you have a real trouble maker on your hands here.
Glad he got his revenge against the bus bully.
And, you never know, he might be famous someday!!
xo
I’m banking on his fame so that I may retire one day, Jen.
I love his creative solution to the bullying on the bus.
Paper beats rock everytime.
And? Paper ROCKS.
Love the small one!!
That makes two of us. xo
Haha, Awesome way to fight back! I love it!!
Amanda, this child is nothing if not an out-of-the-box thinker.
Oh, how cute! Chuck Norris Origami – I love it!
And SERIOUSLY ANGRY Chuck Norris Origami at that. #DontMessWithThePaper
so resourceful! kelley—the road goes ever ever on
I know, right? Fight a paper bully with paper. Love that kid.
I’m sure it’s pretty frustrating from a schoolwork standpoint but that’s some serious fine motor skillz!
There’s got to be a career for him in surgery or something, right, Leigh Ann?
Origami wars – I give him plenty of credit for creating his own toys.
Toys? These are weapons of revenge, dude.
It is quiet, requires ingenuity and doesn’t really hurt anyone so I say fold away, young man!
I’ll drink to that. Thanks, May!
Origami meets finger puppets. Nice!
The child never ceases to amaze, Dyanne.
he’s…folding…in class? oh my, no wonder the teacher is ticked! that kid of you’re is super creative and i’m sure he’ll do big things that don’t involve robbing the US Treasury. Be sure to keep tabs on that teacher so when he’s super famous and on the cover of Forbes, we can send her a copy signed neener neener neener.
thanks for sharing.
That was awesome.
Thanks, Vanita. I’ll tell him that you said so. Honored that you stopped by. xo
Your kid is my hero.
For serious.
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