Max likes to write little books, so I gave him a Field Notes brand notebook that I wasn’t using. It disappeared for a few months. I learned today that he carries it to school and has been making entries, a few of which are scanned here.

The first entry is a day’s schedule for Reily,

Dear Riely,

Here is the day.

1. Book Find
2. DBW
3. Handbook
4. Surfs up!

etc. Love Max B.

The second entry is max’s literary catch phrase: “Love Is Life.” He’s even attributing the quote to himself, dating it on each utterance.  Clearly, he inherited his father’s humility.

He makes a few observations about the day.

Yesterday, I smell ocan spray. 

The waves are going to be 15 ft tall. 

The crossing guard are playing. 

He likes the idea of Haiku, but doesn’t understand syllables yet.

Finally, the Sunset’s tale:

Once there was a seed. At sunset, it grew and grew, until it became a palm tree. Even before the seed grew, love was passed onto it. The End!

A palm tree, naturally.

Here is the full book, as a PDF.

Here is the front of the card:

Everyone who loves life should have this

Here is the inside of the card:

Love Is Life, By Max B, for Beatrix

Don’t tear up your baby license. The Evil Gods will look into the ripped part and say “Oh, this is the power.” And that will destroy the Aloha Relaxation Company.

Eric:

Oh. I’ve got to go upstairs …. (Dashing to Facebook! )

Max:

Don’t post that on Facebook. The Aloha Relaxation Company will fall apart.

The Aloha Relaxation Company delivers blankets that help you relax. The Founder, Max, gives us examples of his company’s services every morning at 5:45. I’m not entirely sure what the Baby License is.

Unfortunately, with these instructions you certainly will not get your Totin’ Chip. The part about “Pretend you are swinging a s(w)ord” would disqualify anyone.

Read the whole book for details.

Max wakes up about an hour before his parents and he often entertains himself by making books.

Fortunately, Max is all boy, and the Sparkling Communities turned out to be astronomical constellations.  Here is a PDF of the full book.

Possible, I supposed, but not practical. Max persisted. He persisted for several weeks. Finally, I understood what he was really saying: “Good God Man, you’re a Busboom! Get to work! ” So I made a sword from a stone.

We took a river rock from the garden, put a diamond blade on the angle grinder, and free-handed a sword. Even though Max was equipped with safety glasses and an apron, the  lesson was entirely negated by Dad holding an angle grinder in one hand, and a rock in the other.

Regardless, the result was acceptable, and Max approves:

Max, to Mom: Is Santa Claus real, or a made up story?

Mom: Well, Santa Claus is, um, the spirit of Christmas.

Max: But is he real or a made up story?

Mom: It’s kind of hard to say.

Max: Can Daddy say?

Mom: Go ask your Dad.

So, tomorrow, I get to pitch Santa Claus to a young skeptic. Somehow, saying “If you see it in the Huffington Post it’s so” doesn’t quite feel right.

The lyrics are exactly what they sound like, and his parents have absolutely no explanation for them.

If you’re happy and you know it crack your skull. (Crack, Crack) x3
If you’re happy and you know it,
then your face should surely know it
If you’re happy and you know it crack your skull. (Crack, Crack)