Veterans’ Day

Grant made this float out of a shoebox for his school’s annual Veterans’ Day parade.  Being new to the school, we didn’t realize that kids (or the parents?) go all out on these floats.  Grant had a specific plan as to what he wanted and I am still proud of him even if his stayed simple compared to the mini-aircraft carrier and razzle dazzle sparkly ones.  His was heart felt and a clear tribute to his dad, great-grandpa, and all Veterans in general.

 

There were many veterans, ranging from WWII to present day soldiers, sitting in this hallway as special guests to the school that day.  By the time the third graders got through their patriotic songs and these fifth grade kids pulled their floats through, I had tears trickling and I don’t think I was the only one.  It was the best Veteran’s tribute I have ever seen in a school.  Again, simple but so meaningful. 

So then next day, on actual Veteran’s Day, the kids were off of school even though the veteran in our house was not.  (Boo.) I made the most of four hired hands minus the hired and we got some yard work done.  We had three huge stands of cannas that had been hit by the frost and just needed cleaning up. 

We used machetes and shopping carts. Talk about making work fun!

After that, we did some raking of leaves and I set some on fire on the driveway.  Here’s Caroline, miffed that I won’t let her roast marshmallows

 

and here’s Supervisor Grant continually expressing his disapproval that I, the adult, would start a fire anywhere near our fence.

   

Sam and Caroline are looking like it’s summertime!  Really, it was a warm day.  All the machete use had me sweating. And gave me a blister. 

I wish I had snapped a picture of the kids playing in the shopping cart.  You’ll have to just picture this:  Sam in the basket, in his muscle shirt, hanging on tight with Grant steering him down the steep hill in our front yard with me yelling at them both to stop playing with the danged thing!   

Just when you think we can’t get any more redneck.