Rabbit Eating Bacon
Posted by Troy | Filed under Kids
“It’s a rabbit eating bacon,” he says.
Tags: kids
Six Benefits of LEGO Play for Children with Autism
Posted by Troy | Filed under Autism, Kids, Parenting
When my kids were finally old enough for LEGOs, I was glad.
Pretty much everything about LEGO is awesome.
What was interesting (though not totally surprising) was how beneficial LEGO play seemed to be for my 6-year-old who has autism.
Interestingly enough, some serious studies are now being done to develop LEGO-based therapy for children with autism.
It makes a lot of sense:
Read the rest of this entry »
Best Christmas Ever!
Posted by Troy | Filed under Kids
Laid off.
Struggling with life’s purpose and direction.
Possibly sick and dying.
But he doesn’t know any of that.
“This is the best Christmas ever!” he announces as we decorate the (overpriced) tree.
and I realize he’s right.
Of course.
It is the best Christmas ever.
Five minutes later, while brandishing a dreidel like a dagger he exclaims,
“Prepare to be dead!”
Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
Always Inspired by Colored Pencils
Posted by Troy | Filed under Art/Design, Kids
Feeling uninspired lately.
I’m not sure if it is because I’ve been focusing on work-related stuff… or because I’m waiting for cat scan results to see what’s the next step.
But for whatever reason, I haven’t had much to say lately…
and because I’m committed to Strong Odors being quality, not quantity…
I’ve decided to share this illustration rather than ramble on about something no one really needs to read.
Not exactly sure what’s happening here… but one of my favorites from my daughter (who did this one back in the first grade).
I can’t come close to expressing the creativity that she can unleash with a single stroke of a pencil. Take a few minutes to discover all the detail and emotion and story in this one.
She challenges and inspires me as an artist.
Also threw some Passion Pit into the playlist… lots of Passion Pit echoing around our house lately.
Tags: illustration, kids
Guess the Smell
Posted by Troy | Filed under Family, Humor
One weekend my parents were nice enough to treat the whole family to see Grossology.
It is a travelling experiential science exhibit based on the popular children’s books and is a lot of fun…
I mean, what couldn’t be fun about bodily functions?
One station was called “Guess the Smell”…
4 small openings in a table… bend down, flare nostrils, whiff, select answer…
guess which of the multiple choice answers I was lucky enough to inhale:
- feet
- armpit
- bad breath
- anus
Tags: education, kids, original illustration, science
Pepperoni Pizza
Posted by Troy | Filed under Humor, Parenting
He was going to be a hippo
Then it was a pirate
Then a frog
Finally, with time running out we insist he make up his mind…
“Pepperoni Pizza!” he announces…
Tags: halloween, kids, original photo
Ringo Starr is the One
Posted by Troy | Filed under Culture, Music, Parenting
After a round of Beatles RB the other day, I asked my right-brained first-born what her favorite Beatles song is (of course Abbey Road is her favorite album)…
I wouldn’t have guessed “Octopus’s Garden,” but I guess it makes sense since that Ringo tune has been entertaining kids for a long time.
Tags: kids, Music, original illustration, rock band, the beatles
Zev on Amazing Race
Posted by Troy | Filed under Autism, Parenting, TV
Individuals on the Autism Spectrum have never had a voice in the media.
Of course there’s Rain Man (everyone’s first reply when I say “my son has Autism”)…
And the occasional savant on 60 Minutes or something… (which of course results in everyone’s second reply “so is he super good at math or the piano or something?”)
And that is about it.
There’s never been occasion in media where a character with Autism was actually a person… you know what I mean?
That is why I consider this season’s Amazing Race to be groundbreaking…
Because Zev Glassenberg is someone to watch.
As far as I can tell he is the first person ever in popular media to represent individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
While watching this weeks episode…
I chuckled knowingly when he’s concerned about getting his shoes wet while traveling through knee-deep floods in Vietnam…
and I felt so proud… like he was my own son… when he masterfully shepherded a flock of ducks during one competition…
and gave his jacket to a man who had none…
and my heart cheered when his team came in 2nd at the finish line for that leg of the race…
But the thing that really gets me emotional…
is that he’s got a friend.
a real friend.
Because I know I’m in for a lot of heartbreak over the next decade as I try to watch my son relate to his peers… and none of them will really understand him.
But seeing Zev with his buddy Justin gives me hope… just a little hope… that someday my boy can have a friend that understands him and appreciates him the way I do…
a friend who loves his sense of humor and is humbled by his unselfish spirit and touched by his sweet personality and…..
You can follow Zev and Justin on the race via their webpage (which is mostly twitter status updates of funny stuff Zev says on the show)
Tags: amazing race, aspergers, Autism, tv
Why I Hate Weddings
Posted by Troy | Filed under Culture, Humor, Marriage, Thoughts
I did some work for an old friend recently…
He is a cool wedding photographer based out of Cincinatti. The best part about his work is that you can tell everyone in every photo is having a blast.
Perusing his recent work got me thinking about weddings…
I don’t really enjoy attending weddings as a whole… but the absolute worst, most obnoxious tradition of all (besides the bachelor party of course) has got to be the garter-removal.
Who is the moron that made up this tradition and why does everyone insist on including this as part of their celebration…
Ugh.
Tags: illustration, original illustration
Home School vs Public School
Posted by Troy | Filed under Parenting
I read an entertaining article today about choosing the best schooling option for your family and respecting the choices of others.
I’m not sure why this issue is so hotly debated among parents…
Quite honestly, I don’t really care how you school your kids and I’m not exactly sure why anyone else would care what option I choose for mine.
I do think he comes across a little hard on homeschooling in the article, but I don’t think that is his intention…
What he’s really getting at is how often parents of a certain persuasion will look down on anyone who makes a different choice. For him, it was homeschooling parents practically treating him like a child-abuser because he sends them to public school, never considering that he did so for some very intentional reasons…
I love my homeschooling friends. They are wonderful and fabulous and great and all those other positive adjectives, and I’ve never experienced this kind of pressure from any of them.
But I do know what this guy is talking about… and I have seen it.
I grew up in Christian school and I remember even as a kid looking ever-so-slightly down my nose at the kids who wallowed in the paganism of Siebert Elementary… I didn’t realize I was doing so, but I was…
and I don’t want my kids to ever think they are better than anyone else… luckier than some, maybe… but not better.
and every day I encourage them to be hope and light and love to the kids who have none…
Tags: illustration
