Back to quarters...Grandpa Gene
decided he wanted to collect the
50 states quarters for his grandkids.
He even made a wooden block with holes just the size of quarters...but then he got soo many quarters and the block wasn't big enough, but it's cute that he made it. Literally, there were bowls and bowls of quarters. We filled 6 booklets with super shiny state quarters. It was fun to finish a task he wanted to do - carrying out his wishes (grandma said, his eyes were getting bad enough, she doesn't know if it would ever have gotten done, but he had planned to do it...so it was fun). *** Just heard that they cashed in $766 of quarters - plus the $67.50 that filled the 6 booklets = $833.50!!! How funny!
I got to see my other extended family we hadn't seen in years! The long weekend and its events won't soon be forgotten. Even going through grandpa's stuff was fun. I started to check out the boots my dad set aside knowing my Scott has had an aching for some cowboy boots for a few years now...just so happens Grandpa and Scott have the same size of feet! Anyhow, when dad saw me looking at boots he announced it wasn't yet time to look through stuff and I was to wait until we could all do it together...which we teased him about, but it was great. Grandma...Scott loves the boots!
I am beyond thankful that I was able to go and be with my family. Thank you, Thank you Scott! What a guy! You are awesome!
Meanwhile...back on the homefront...Scott entertained the kids. Here are a few funny things Ryan said while I was gone...
Saturday - Scott took the boys to the driving range where they hit some balls (golf), then they went to the park and then they headed to McDonalds so they could get a hamburger and play in the play place. (Little background...the week before I left Ryan says to me, "Mom, why don't you let me play outside anymore?" Well before you think I'm a terrible mom...let me explain that after we returned from Utah on New Years, it rained for nearly 2 weeks and then Sean and I got really sick. So I tell him when it's not wet outside and I'm not sick, we'll play outside - it just so happened that the first sunny day was when I was gone and Scott got to be the hero) Anyhow...so they were on their way to "Old McDonald's" and Ryan was obviously in kid heaven having a great day when he says to Scott,
"Dad! Today let's do everything that mom doesn't let us do!"
To which a surprised Scott says, "Like what?"
An excited Ryan says, "Let's get the toy at Old McDonalds!"
And Scott replies with a chuckle, "Nope, we're not getting a McDonald's toy, but you get to play!"
(Another side note...my kids have only gotten the toy at McD's a few times - usually with a grandparent in tow. The hamburgers are a buck and the real treat is getting to play in the big fun play place! Deprived? I think they'll survive.)
Another funny story...for this baby (and actually both the others too...) Scott and I have liked the name Chase. Wednesday morning, Ryan comes into Scott and starts talking...two stories, first he says, "Dad, if we name the baby Chase, then everyone will run and chase!"
The second story he started talking about that morning was about wanting to be a superhero. He says something like this,
"Dad, before you were married to mom,remember when mom was in the bathroom in the woods and her friends locked her inside?" (True story...there is a picture of me and my friends after said incident in one of my college scrapbooks...I honestly can't ever remember telling him this story or looking at the scrapbook with him - we often look at picture books of after he was born - but not way back then!)
So then Ryan says, "If I was a superhero, I would fly through the window and rescue her!" Seriously, where does he pull these things from? His brain astounds me. He's always had the most amazing memory. He talks about things from before he was 2 years old. He randomly starts talking about events from years ago...and has done so since he was able to talk! Crazy!
If anyone who blogs has made it this far in my journaling...I'm panicing! My sister just alerted me to the fact that there is only 1024 MB of space in blogger for pictures!!!! I'm already 42% full! I think in pictures...I express myself in pictures...This is my family history journal and I basically only have another year and a half left of pictures (how long I've blogged) before I run out of space. The horror! Any suggestions? Anyone? I have started deleting unnecessary pictures, but it's difficult - so far only freed up about 10% more space.
Alright, one more story, since I'm on a roll and only Grandma's are still
reading:) The other day we printed directions on how to make some stuff from Legos off the internet - but Santa bought Knex, the generic brand because it looked like for the 5 year olds, there were more interesting things for him to build. So far mom is more of the builder and Ryan is more of the watcher. He doesn't like just building whatever, he wants what's in the pictures. So we decided on this dinosaur. I can't imagine a 5 year old building this indepentenly! Seriously, it was soooo frustrating! I'm guessing it was because these are the generic brand and not real legos that they don't stay together great. I can't tell you how many times it fell apart while building. The person who created the directions should never ever have instructed you put the legs on in the beginning. Every time it would fall apart, it would be difficult to figure out what went where because it was all green! Seriously, it was taking forever and trying my patience! Ryan starts saying, "Maybe it wasn't a good idea to print these directions." But I was determined to finish. At one point, I say, "Man, this T-Rex takes the patience of Job!" Ryan replies, "What's Job?" I explained and that was that. Then yesterday after church, his primary teacher informs us she'd heard all about how legos takes the patience of Job. Man I wish I was a fly in their class so I could know all that he tells people!Holy cow! A bit long winded today or what?
