Can We Talk 2

School's Out for Polling

         Today the public schools were closed in order to allow polling. So I babysat 3 of my greats at my house. Their mom works in town and dropped them off. They were good, probably the best they've been for me in years. Oh, they're growing up, I guess. One has only recently taken to coloring; he's always resisted up until now. So I watched a lot of "Big City Greens" in the morning.

         We had pizza from the freezer. An hour later, they wanted hot dogs which I didn't have. So I offered French fries. They went out to play in the fort while I baked them. (They have a homemade fort behind the shed, which they have modified over time with whatever they could find in the shed or the yard). After eating fries, I went out with the boys to get some weights I found recently in the shed. I'm sure they belonged to their grandfather, my late brother. They didn't want to take them home, but carried them out to the "back room" of the fort (these were dumbbells). We pulled up ivy which is rampant and fast growing, and I inspected the "barrier" they were reinforcing.

         Later they all went outside to ride bicycles down the hill. I had to stand in the street to watch for traffic. They have gravel at home and no hills. Who knew that a long winding hill could be such a thrill? It was against my better judgment to let them do it, since it's difficult for motorists to see at the top of the hill where I live. We lucked out. No cars for about 20 minutes. Then I made them go back to my level driveway where they circled around the trees in the yard and my car and me. The six year old did cartwheels while his siblings raced him. It soon turned too dark to be in the street, anyway. So I know they got exercise and will sleep tonight.

         In between "Captain Man" on TV and bikes. I took the 8 year old boy to the garage where I gave him my old tool box. We then went to my dad's workbench and found some tools I don't plan on using. Two extra Flathead screwdrivers, one Phillips, a package of small nails, a few long screws, a couple of band-aids, and a measuring tape (I have surplus tapes), some black electrical tape. He found a vise in one of the drawers; I wouldn't have included it, but I have no plans for it. He turned down needle nose pliers, but I talked him into some wire cutters. We found a small hammer in one of the drawers, and then he felt satisfied with the box. I explained that these were not weapons, that he could never stab or hit anyone with them. I also reminded him that if anyone borrowed one of his tools, to be sure it went back into the box and not left out on the porch or the ground. He agreed.

         It felt kind of good, thinking that his great grandpa would be happy to see the boy have his own tools. He was very excited to take everything out of the box and show his mother. He's carrying on a family tradition.