Without pictures, this "picture" is incomplete. Photos on the way...

My son knows what he wants.

It's not startling news, of course. There was that wedding we went to when he was three, when he got tired of waiting for the cake to be served so he walked right up and cut himself a fistful. Or, the time he snuck into the kitchen in the middle of the night and stowed a half dozen chocolate covered cherries in his coat, circumventing any nasty parental candy limits. And, who could forget the days when he insisted that we call him Rocky?

Rocky strikes again. This time, he knew he wanted to be a donkey and, dammit, a donkey he was.

It all started a few weeks back, when news of the midwest premiere of "E-I-E-I-Oops!" spread through the house. The first grade musical was coming! We had a walk-on role! Guffman was even rumored to be coming! "I'm the donkey," Jack said. "I need ears and a tail and I need to learn how to hee haw."

Naturally, I was thrilled. I don't get many opportunities to knit and gloat at the same time. I got down to work with some gray wool, and eventually we had ears, a fancy mane, and a tail. Add a little black nose paint and Voila!--what a cute Ass.

We took our seats and waited with crazed anticipation. No matter that Jack was curiously listed in the program as a chorus farmer, we just knew it was written to conceal the surprise donkey attack. Hee Haw!

What a night. Cue the music. Enter the chicken chorus. Enter the farmers (wow, so many!). Enter 20 pigs and 14 sheep. Enter one donkey.

Yes, my son knows what he wants. Wednesday night, he wanted a part in the musical. So, he decided to self cast. I love you, Jack Attack, and may you always be this resourceful.