I haven't talked about the little guy lately, in part because I got carried away last week with all manner of local doings, and also in part because he turned six last month. Six. Serious little boy-dom has arrived.

His reading skills have improved. He's starting to take some interest in making art. The following watercolors of his deserve frames. Yes, this could be a biased, proud mama boasting, but hey, judge for yourselves. The titles are his:

Morning, approx. 4"x6"

Hurricane, approx. 6"x7"

Of course, some things just don't change. Driving him to school this morning was yet another opportunity for some deep thoughts on the Universe from the kid, followed by some heavy questions like: "Mom, why'd they kill Martin Luther King?"

Yes, it was another ohGodholdontothesteeringwheelanddonthitthegasstation moment.

I didn't learn what prompted the question until I checked out the work in his cubby today:

I told my son that Dr. King died due to the radical belief he preached and fought for - that we are all equal regardless of our color, creed, or gender and that we'd better start living that way, and have that reflected in the laws of the land. The above "mini-book" template doesn't bother to say what the unfair laws were that Dr. King protested in the 1963 March on Washington, and that bothers me. Unfair how exactly? Hmmmm...

My son dealt with some unfairness earlier in the week in a way that would have had Dr. King frowning mightily upon him. Perturbed that a child kept humming behind him even after the little guy had told the hummer repeatedly to stop, my son seized the next moment the hummer passed close to take a small wooden mallet and tap the kid on the head with it - boink!

Reaction to this kindergarten justice was swift. The little guy was placed in a time-out spot in response to the hummer's cry of unpleasant surprise, and all he had to say in his own defense was, "He wouldn't...stop....humming!!!!"

Is it any wonder this song comes to mind?