Oliver’s Aunt Omie gave him $25 as a start-of-school gift and on Saturday we found ourselves browsing the shelves in Indigo with Oliver’s money burning a hole in his pocket. While various Dora the Explorer, Reading Rabbit and other age-appropriate titles were considered, Oliver decided, in the end, that the book he absolutely had to have was House on a Budget: Making Smart Choices to Build the Home You Want .

After no amount of “you realize that you’re going to actually be spending all of your money on this book, leaving nothing for impulsive Playmobil purchases at Owls Hollow” seemed to dint his resolve, I said he could go ahead, and we walked out of Indigo with the book in-hand.

Oliver’s been captivated by the book ever since, and insists on reading it often. You can see that he has grand plans for renovating our house using what he’s gleaned: he’s already talking about building a studio for Catherine in the back yard, connected to the main house by a bridge extending from the second floor.

However much I might protest at the extravagance of it all, I am, of course, secretly very proud of my son’s wide-ranging interests. If you’re in the mood for a renovation of your own home, please drop us a line; I’m sure Oliver can throw some sketches down on paper for you.