About four times a year, I sit my kiddo down and ask the big question: “What do you want to learn?” The answers are always a bit unpredictable but usually solid. Do we accomplish everything? Nope, not even close. But hey, we check a few things off the list. So this time, when I asked, the response was simple: “I just want to learn.” Cue ominous music.
“Are you sure?” I asked, half-expecting a more specific request, like “rocket science” or “can we bake something that explodes?” But nope, just the open-ended “I want to learn.”
Well, okay then, kiddo. Buckle up. This mama’s got a brain full of random knowledge, and it’s all coming your way—on a budget, of course, because, well, life. Oh, and did I mention I’m also trying to keep us moving because I’m still on a mission to zipline and ride horses next year without the need for a crane?
Enter the Iron Man Suit (and the Plot Twist)
Now, here’s where things get spicy. My son’s been on this Iron Man kick for a while. We’re not talking about a little costume with a plastic mask, though. Oh no, it’s gotta have working parts. Full Tony Stark vibes. For someone without a 3D printer and a Tony Stark-level budget, this sounded like…a challenge. But hey, Halloween is coming, so down the rabbit hole I went.
I found all kinds of Iron Man suit blueprints online. Some were ridiculously complicated and looked like you’d need a PhD in engineering just to understand them. Others? A bit more do-able. I thought, “Goal! We got this.”
I showed the kid the video, and we discussed the plan. We were ready to tackle this project like superheroes. But then, about an hour later, he came back and said, “You know what? I think I’ll just go with the zombie costume I wanted first. It’s easier.”
Oof.
Zombies > Iron Man?
So, here we are, prepping for the easiest zombie costume in history. But am I still gathering materials to encourage the Iron Man build? You bet. I’m also dragging every learning resource I can find into this project to make it feel less like rocket science and more like a fun puzzle. (Spoiler alert: The wife roped the librarians into helping us print templates. Librarians are the real MVPs.)
Lesson learned? When you ask your kid what they want to learn, be ready for a few left turns and costume changes along the way. Whether we finish this Iron Man suit or not, we’re building something—if not a suit, then a love for learning (and a zombie apocalypse survival plan).
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