going to the moon

My son recently read a book where one of the characters turns his house into a rocket and jets off to the moon. He thinks this is a great idea and is full of complicated plans for us to do the same. He has, however, thus far been thwarted by the logistics of such an endeavor.

 

His initial thought was to use our inflatable pool as our rocket, since it is already equipped with four seats, meaning that all three of us and his aunt could go together. We would pack lunch and probably dinner, since we would likely want to stay in outer space for a while. However, the pool doesn't have seatbelts, and he wasn't sure how to make them, so this plan has been abandoned.

 

His next step was to do a little research into space travel. He and his aunt got some books at the library and read up on the moon, space, and the planets. They painted pictures of the solar system. They talked about how long it would take to get to other planets.

 

The solar system

 

Thus equipped with all the knowledge of space travel that was available in the children's section of our local library, he resumed construction. The new plan was to turn our house into a rocket using materials we already have on hand. I found him poking a chunk of concrete in the backyard. "Mom," he said, "is this the right kind of metal to make a rocket?" Unfortunately, it wasn't, and things got quiet on the planning front for a while.

 

It seems he may have turned to a greater power to get us into outer space. I asked him what he was going to wish for when he blows out his birthday candles this weekend, and he responded, without hesitation, "I will wish for our house to turn into a rocket."