The Story of Ian's Life, in figures and blurbs

The following is a transcription of an elaborate, computer-generated diagram that Ian made at school late last year, outlining the people and animals in his home-life.  The energy-level of the diagram itself cannot be communicated in the two-dimensional format of transcription, but to give a rough sense of it, there is a diagram of a house in the middle - a cozy, all-American, timeless house - suburban or rural - with smoke coming out of the chimney and the label: "My family."  Arrows point away from the house toward cartoon-style bubbles, each containing a statement or phrase summing up some person or set of association's in the lad's life.  There are also gif-like, almost cartoonish pictures of the trappings of every-day family life scattered across the diagram:  a father eagerly taking video footage, a grandmother in an apron with the caption, "When I was little," a bicycle, a calculator, a computer, a boy and girl playing together, a strawberry, two mushrooms, a heart with Cupid's arrow through it, a school-house (also pure Americana), a picture of the generic father-and-mother-with-baby, a Kansas-like stretch of wheat, and more...

The title of the work, printed in the middle of the display, is:  "The Story of My Life.  To:  Amy  From:  Ian  (Amy=Mom)

The captions in bubbles read as follows:

* pets:  I've had over 15.  Right now I have about 13.  I've had crabs to dogs.

* funny - Madeleine:  Shares with me and I protect her from teasing Daniel

* exciting - Daddy (=Dan): Takes us to exciting places.  Is not a huge fan of candy and TV

* annoying/friendly - Daniel:  I always loved him when he was a baby but now he gets kind of annoying.

* [Next to the school figure]:  I loved preschool.  I had tons of friends everywhere.

*[Next to the bicycle figure]:  My favorite memories:  I remember first feeding myself.  I was eating cereal.  Beginning to drive a two-wheeled bike.

* I always said, "Feed me!  Feed me!"  My brother Daniel always said, "Feed self!  Feed self!"
[This is true:  from the start, Ian wanted to be cared for,  but Daniel insisted on autonomy.]

* I was tiny.  My mother was afraid that I would break.

*[By the computer and calculator figures:]  Future plans:  get a computer of my own.  get some things that I really want!