What My Daughter Doodles in School
Posted on January 17, 2011 Posted by John Scalzi 27 Comments
Athena’s school is doing school-wide testing today (they were in school because of two snow days last week), so when she finished her testing, she used her free time to draw me a little picture. This is what she drew. Clearly she knows me.
(For those of you needing context)
I love my baby girl
Hey, did she ever write a sequel to that alien invasion story? That was good stuff.
Y’all really should have gone on the cruise. Maybe next year?
You really need to drop her off in the filk room during your next family convention…
Awww, how sweeeet!
I love the expression on the blonde’s face.
YEESSSS
The pissed-off look on the face of the damsel in distress is absolutely the best part…which is saying something, because I would have been quite proud (although concerned, because I have only boys) if one of mine had brought this home :)
That blonde looks Canadian.
Shades of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.
She’s what, 11, and can draw better than I can.
She’s really composed the scene from the song quite well. Bravo Athena!
It’s somehow made more wonderful by the fact that the mountain is covered with wolves.
Well, with a wolf. I’m extrapolating. But nonetheless: way cool.
Yay for the wolf on the mountain (a nod to the best passive-aggressive phrase in any song ever). Next up, we need her interpretation of the half monkey, half pony…
Not only am I impressed by her artistic skills (great facial expressions!) and attention to detail, I’m stunned that in the age of the computer, your kid has great handwriting! I was under the obviously mistaken impression that children don’t learn how to write letterforms anymore.
If I ever meet Athena I will probably ask for her autograph. You are raising such an awesome kid.
(On a related note I have officially petitioned to have you invited on the next JoCo Cruise.)
I think she would really love the Jonathon Coulton song at the end of Portal (the video game). And the game, too! It’s a downloadable Xbox arcade game. The song is brilliant.
Am I the only one who’s getting creepied out by this or am I missing something?
I particularly enjoying the howling wolf in the background. You could almost miss it. (That and the blonde’s “Oh, WHATever,” expression…)
Mike, you’re missing an understanding of the awesomeness that is Jonathan Coulton. The song is available via the elegantly and finely-crafted link thoughtfully provided in the main post.
Congratulations. Clearly the apple has not fallen far from the tree ;->
I love the expression on the blonde.
She’s not even scared, just. plain. pissed-off. :D
I wish I’d had parents like you :) I really like her picture.
In middle school art class we did a linoleum block printing segment. Since it was a rather expensive and lengthy venture we were encouraged to come up with a special picture and do our very best work. The girls were doing mostly flowers and rainbows and the boys were doing mostly cars and such. Being from a well educated liberal arts household and into greek myth from an early age I decide to imitate classical art and use mythology as my inspiration. I put a big volcano in the background with a river of lava flowing to the bottom center foreground. On the plain in front of the volcano I put a pegasus and a cerebrus fighting across the river of lava. Note that while this was a somewhat violent image of two creatures fighting it was not bloody or horrific in any way. I couldn’t figure out how to carve that :)
This picture got me sent to the school counselor who promptly called my Mom and told her not to bring me back to school until I’d been cleared by a psychologist. Several years later I asked her about the incident and what prompted them to send me home. She said they were concerned because girls don’t draw violent images. They draw flowers and rainbows.
Story of my life. Censured for being different. So much for a classical education.
I meant to say at the end of that last post that I’m glad you’re encouraging that creative side of your daughter. It’s a very good thing.
You’re probably not in real trouble until she puts that fine German steel field-dressing kit on her Xmas list.
I’m glad you provided a link to the song (which is awesome and screaming for a video to made BTW). On first glance I thought that this was a disturbing family portrait of some kind. And yet the only thought that came to mind was “Does John play guitar?”
Bravo Athena.
You know posting this on Whatever might not have been the best idea. You don’t want some busy-body from family services knocking on the door asking difficult questions. Otherwise her next picture will show two angry blond women tied up in your basement whilst being serenaded by you and the hideously scarred dwarf.
This was a triumph.
I’m making a note here: huge success. It should be hard for you to overstate your satisfaction with this drawing.
What an excellent song to choose to make a drawing of, and such a charming hideously scarred assistant.