I have friends over for coffee and cake on every Thursday ( the only evening I don’t have to take kids for basketball). One of my friend has a child in the same school and grade as my son. And the topic of “junk art”, a project all grade 7 are supposed to do this term came up. My friend’s child did mention about making a subway outlet with junk items found in the house  and that she made it during the 2 weeks winter break few weeks ago.
2 years ago Yaya did the same project. She spend 5 weeks making “red carpet”. Actors and actresses walking on the red carpet for the Oscar.

After my friends left, I was busy making dinner and noticed my son standing near the kitchen and making ‘something”.
“what are you doing?” I asked
“Oh, Making a crossbow” He replied
And I should have known to have at least asked, “why are you making a crossbow? or what are you planning to make for the junk art?”
The thing is, I didn’t ask Yaya what she was making for her project. It was her assignment and she did it all by herself. My logic is simple, their project, they do it.

While we were eating our dinner, my son tells Yaya, “Hey Yaya, guess what I made for Junk art?” Victoriously he brings out the crossbow.
I think, Yaya’s eyes almost fell out of the socket !
“You made a cross bow as a junk art?”

Let me explain something. Most kids ( rather all the kids except my son) make elaborate art works like robots, cold rock ice cream parlour, subway etc and my son is taking a crossbow !
“When is the project due?” I asked
“I think it is tomorrow” he replied
“What do you mean, you think?” I asked
“I don’t know mom, I forgot to check when the project is due”
“where is the task sheet?” I asked
“I left it at school” he replied.
I was so angry with him and told him off for being irresponsible.
He ate dinner and went to the garage.
“What are you doing now?” I asked
“Making a rocket” He replied
“Why?” I asked
“don’t know” He replied.

I was still very angry with him. So I did the dishes and went back to my room.
He had enough time to this project including two weeks of winter break . His sister is very talented when it came to arts and he could have asked her to help him. He left it to the last minute and he can suffer for all I care, so I thought.

But then again, I am his mother and the guilty feelings started to prick my conscience.. I know my son can’t handle music and arts. I also leave everything to the very last minute. Apple can’t have fallen too far from the tree!
So I went back and helped him, warning him that I will never help him again if he left anything to the last minute. He nodded his head agreeing and promised not to leave anything to the last minute. ( this will repeat many times in the next decade, I am sure)
This is what we came up with.
I got him to put sand and water in a container, submerged houses and cars from his toys collection to create the Brisbane flood. He kept the cross bow on one side and the rocket on the other side and wrote, from crossbow to rocket and nature still stumps us.