Toys of Yesteryear.

Christmas has come and gone. Just seeing the kids look at the tree with all the presents under it was worth the trip out here. 

Toys sure have changed over the years. BB guns have been replaced with video games. Big Wheels have been replaced Hoverboards and One Wheels. And Stretch Armstrong has been replaced by something called a Squishy. Hot wheels racetracks, one of my favorite toys growing up, must be a thing of the past. What was your favorite toy growing up?

Like most mothers, Jessica used Christmas as an opportunity to replenish the kids socks, underwear and shirts. Like most kids, Dylan tossed those aside after opening them looking for the gift that he had been waiting for all year. For him, that was a gaming table, monitor and keyboard. Oh, how I would love to see the look on the kids' faces if we gave them presents from our era. Like clackers or a set of jacks with a little bouncy ball. Or better yet, replace Dylan's XBox with a old Pong console.

We received this photo from our nomadic son Forrest. He, Somer and Lily are in Savannah, Georgia for the next few weeks as Somer took a temp job at a hospital there. 

Soon after opening their gifts, the kids were off to their rooms to play with them. That got Barb and I talking about the toys of our childhood. It is a wonder we survived and did not shoot our eyes out. Do kids even go outside to play anymore? Do they play Kick the Can, Flashlight Tag or go to the playground anymore?

For school recess, I am picturing kids all standing around just staring at their phones. All the dangerous equipment from yesteryear removed. No more Tether Ball, no more playground spinners, heaven forbid that a kid plays dodgeball with those balls that would leave marks for days. Nope, nowadays they just stare at their phones and text their friends 10' away from them rather than actually talking to them. 

I am glad that I am old, so I do not have to see how the next generation turns out. Do you think our grandparents said the same thing? Speaking of grandparents, Dylan made Barb laugh the other day when he said, "You are not like most grandmas". I don't know if that was before or after she bonked her head after riding the hoverboard, but truer words have never been spoken. Funny, he never said that about me. Or maybe he did but I was in the camper taking my nap and did not hear it. 

Our fireplace project continued this week. Shane was down most of the week with a horrible cough of some sort that resulted in an urgent care visit. So it was up to me to finish the taping and mudding. Not my best skill, but I faired alright. 

From there, it was Jess and Barb's turn to take over, priming and painting the walls and ceiling. That was a two-day project. I attached the two sides of the fireplace surround back together and installed it, a TV mount, and the fireplace once the painting was done. 

Barb priming the wall and Jess painting the ceiling.

Jess painting the fire surround while Kendall watched on the couch with Oreo the cat tucked in her shirt.

The final touch was a new ceiling fan and we deemed the project completed!

We got out with the kids on one outing when Barb and I took them out for bowling and ice cream one afternoon. 

It has been unseasonably warm here for December, so warm in fact, that I decided to dewinterize the camper. The extended forecast for the rest of our stay shows it barely dipping into the 30's at night. Then we head south, so I figured it is safe. So nice to have running water in here again!

The big event this week was my birthday! Non-event really, as the girls painted, Shane worked, and I hung out in the workshop. But we did go out that night to the Keylock Brewery, then brought home some Chinese for supper.

A special thanks for our neighbors, Jim and Carmen in South Dakota. They let the furniture delivery people in the other day when they exchanged our couch. Carmen even inspected it before they left to make sure there was no damage to this one!

Tomorrow is our final day here before we hit the road, our 10 days went too quick but Jess needs to get back to work and the kids back to school. We have one day left to spoil the kids and maybe toughen up a little bit. Perhaps a good old BB gun fight in the woods or a game of Jarts. Nothing like sharp metal pointy lawn darts flying at you to toughen a kid up!

Happy New Year!