Grandaddys: Monday Night Dime Draws are an ISU Tradition

Someone donated a large assortment of books and publications to UHS. I spotted this ad from '82 in an old ISU magazine. I think this is a picture of the Rodeo Club.



I wonder how many people in this picture have kids who went to ISU.

One Down, Nineteen to Go

The time had come for Char to lose her first tooth. One of her lower, front teeth had become so loose we were afraid that she might swallow it while she slept.

Neither Daphne nor I could get a grip on the tiny tooth, and we couldn't convince Char to pull the tooth out by herself. So, I had to get out my toolbox. I have a couple of hemostat clamps that I use to grip small items. 

I felt like a doctor on a Civil War battlefield while I cleaned the clamp with rubbing alcohol. I thought Oh Man if this doesn't go well, every loose tooth is going to be nothing but drama...

Daphne held Charlotte in her lap while they sat on the floor. Char tearfully opened her mouth, and I squeezed the clamp around her tooth. Daphne tightened her grip, I held my breath, and Char squealed, but she kept her mouth open. Her tooth popped out after one sharp tug! I was so relieved to hear it tear free. Charlotte was still crying, however.

She couldn't tell us why she was crying because she had a tissue in her mouth to stop the bleeding. I asked her if the tears were good tears or sad tears? She squealed again, gave us the thumbs up, and started jumping around.

They were good tears.

Later Char told me, "Dad, Kim says she's the queen of pulling loose teeth, so that makes you the king!" That's not exactly a crown I want to wear, but what can you do?

This is Charlotte's Tooth Fairly pillow. Daphne bought it at a craft show last fall.

The big question was how much money is the Tooth Fairy going to leave Charlotte? I checked online, and the going rate in the US is anywhere between $1 and $5. Both Daphne and I remember getting quarters from the Tooth Fairy, so I ran some numbers through the Inflation Calculator.

The quarter I received when I was five would be worth $1.20 today.

Daphne's quarter would be worth 61 cents.

Average those amounts and one dollar seems reasonable.

At breakfast the next morning, Charlotte said she was disappointed because she didn't get more money. I reached across the table and said, "Well, if you don't like that dollar, then give it to me. I can use it to buy candy for myself." Char ran upstairs and put the dollar in her bank.

I guess one dollar is good enough.

CGM is on the Board!

Charlotte has been asking me to teach her how to play pinball since she spotted the scoreboard in the Sad Club Arcade. She wanted to see her own initials on the wall. I've been waiting quite awhile for her to want to play with me, but I didn't force the matter because I want this hobby to be fun, not stressful. 

I chose the Grand Prix for her because it's possible to score a load of points before the ball even gets near the flippers. I pulled down my high score, and we played some pinball.

After a few games, she was confident enough to work the flippers by herself. She couldn't wait to show Mom how it's done.

CGM = Charlotte Grace Monson, and 265,480 is a pretty respectable score. I've scored less; I know that.

When she saw her initials, Charlotte exclaimed, "I'm going to be a pinball queen!"

Jumping Back and Forth

When she was cutting Charlotte's hair on Monday night, Daphne commented, "I think Dad is the most nervous of all of us." I wasn't exactly nervous, but I was a little upset. I couldn't tell you why, though. Char should get a haircut when she wants one.

Later I discovered what was bothering me. The three of us were in Char's room playing a nameless game where Charlotte is an adult and Daphne and I are the kids. Sometimes Char is a parent, a chef, a firefighter, or a zookeeper. This time, Char was a mom packing a bag for our trip to the beach. While our daughter ran around, Daphne cried out, "Whoooeeee! Look at that great haircut!" Char smiled and spun so we could admire the new length in back. That's when it hit me. I thought She looks so much older, and my stomach did a flip.

I mentioned this at work the next day, and a friend commented, "Yeah, I don't what it is about haircuts, but every time my boys get them I always think the same thing. Man, they look older."

But what's the big deal? She's growing up. She should look older. I don't want a forever five-year-old. I've watched her grow from a baby to a toddler and into a kindergartner. I'm looking forward to all the stages yet to come. I want to watch her develop into an adult that's kind and contributes to society. So, why was my stomach doing aerobics?

I think it was the jump.

Before the haircut, Charlotte was the same girl I've been looking at for months. In that instant when she flipped her new hairdo she looked just like a ten-year-old to me. In that one second, I had jumped five years into the future. Or I could say, in one second I lost five years. She jumped from five to ten, and I'd never see years six, seven, eight, or nine. What a loss. No wonder I felt ill.

If time travel ever becomes possible, I bet it makes you ralph.

It was all an illusion, of course. Moments later she banged her leg on the sharp corner of the bed, and while we were wiping tears away from her cheeks, the wet face underneath was again five years old.

I had this conversation in my head.

"Oh, Char, thank goodness you're still five."
"Dad, I'm almost five and a half!"
"Yes, I know, honey. But you're the only one who wants you to grow up faster."

Cutting Back

Both Daphne and Charlotte are tired of fighting when it is time to brush Char's hair. Besides the typical "Owww!" and "That hurts!" real tears are sometimes shed. It's time for a haircut.

Charlotte wants a pixie cut (mostly because a friend has one), but we're not sure if she'll really like a change that drastic. Char agreed to lose a few inches to see how that felt.

Welcome to Mom's Saloon. (Oops. I meant Salon. I've been watching too many spaghetti westerns.)

The last brushing.

Just a little off the back, please.

Pre-cut length.

Guesstimating.

Gulp. That looks like a lot of hair.

New length.

Goodbye old hair!

I would like to show you the results, but wouldn't you know it, Char decided she needed to wear her hat during story time. 

After the stories it was time for bed and too late to take any more pictures. Figures...

I'll let you know if she gets that pixie cut.

Grandpa Andy, Maggie, and a Surprise

Here're Grandpa and Maggie spending some quality time together.



But what's under Maggie's tail? Let's zoom in.



It's Earl!



He was on the couch first, but he didn't mind when Maggie jumped up and nearly squished him. It's pretty cold in Iowa today (the high is 1 degree), and I guess any port in a storm...

Maggie Likes it When Charlotte's Grandparents Visit, Too

Worth its Weight in Gold

Charlotte was getting bored on the last weekend of Christmas break. She decided that she was going to put on a "Dancing Contest" for her mom and I.

First she assembled a studio audience.



Then she created a "Prize Table." The white box contains the prize for the winner of the dance competition.



So, how do you win this Dancing Contest? The rules are simple. Mom and Dad sit in the audience and watch Charlotte dance around the room. The winner is the parent who moves the least and does the best job of watching Charlotte. Hmmm.... Do you think someone feels the need for attention?

Since she's the only kid in the house, and she gets our undivided attention already, I was a bit skeptical that this contest would be worth my best efforts. That was until I saw Mom open the white box and pull out the prize she won.



Translation: This is a voucher you can give Charlotte anytime you feel too tired to play with her. You give her the paper, and she'll go play by herself so "You can take [a] nap."

Dangit! The next time this Dancing Contest comes to town I'm taking it much more seriously.

A Great Time with Great Grandma

Charlotte has lots of grandmas. She has my Grandma (Great Grandma Gerri), my mom (Grandma Betty), Daphne's grandma (Great Grandma Ruth), Daphne's dad's wife (Grandma Maureen), and Daphne's Great Aunt (Grandma Charlotte). Daphne's mom (Grandma Deb) passed away, but we talk about her quite a bit, and she does a great job of watching over Charlotte when we're not there.

Personally, I don't think a kid can have too many Grandmas.

We traveled to Iowa City last Saturday to pay Great Grandmother Ruth a visit. She is 94 years old, but she's strong enough to hold a giggling granddaughter on her lap.

It's on the Board

The Grand Prix pinball machine is up and running. That's more of a testament to its condition than it is to my repair skills.

Reviving the Royal Flush was quite an endeavor. Looking back at the experience, I might think that I should not have bought it. The machine was in such a sad state, and I'll never get back the money I put into the Royal Flush. But on the other hand, I don't think a better machine would have taught me as much. That's how these things work. One man's trash is another man's education.

The Grand Prix was popping fuses like a popcorn machine when I first turned it on. I eventually found the wires that had been incorrectly connected (by me), and I could keep the power on and try a game. Luckily, most of the machine's functions were operational. The match, knocker, and right slingshot didn't work. It was also stuck on a four-player game. Those were the major problems. Minor problems included rotten rubber, dim or broken light bulbs, and rusty legs.

The wire brush on the bench grinder, a wire brush attachment for a cordless drill, steel wool, and chrome polish left the legs in a respectable condition.

With the help of the members of Pinside.com and PinballNirvana.com, I'm on my last problem. I can't play a two-player game. I can play a one-player, a three-player, and a four-player game. Since I can count on one hand how many times I've played a two-player game in the Sad Club arcade, this problem has taken a back seat to cleaning and playing the Gran Prix.  You might be surprised how many minor problems are solved by simply playing the game over and over.

Edit: I fixed the 2-player problem late Saturday night. I took the player's unit in the back box apart and scrubbed the rivets with 600 grit sandpaper. I can now play a 1, 2, 3, or 4 player game without a problem. I cleaned the unit once before, but not well enough.

Here's the Grand Prix.

The Sad Club Pinball Arcade is full at the moment. I can't fit another pin in the room or in my budget. I'll probably change the lineup as time goes on, but four games is my maximum (my fingers are crossed behind my back).

You can come over and play if you need some old pinball comfort.

A Cool Christmas Gift

The local meterologists were 99% positive that we wouldn't have a white Christmas. This really bothered Charlotte. She couldn't understand how Santa's sleigh could deliver gifts without any snow on the ground.

She didn't need to worry. The meterologists were wrong, and the snow was beautiful.

And you know what that snow meant...

"Again!"

Earl does not approve of his new Christmas sweater.

Unfortuately for Earl, Daphne does approve.

A Dinner Fit for a Superstar

They've got a neat rewards program for good behavior at Charlotte's elementary. I'm not exactly sure about the rules, but if a teacher or administrator catches you doing the right thing you get your name put in a drawing. 

If your name is drawn, it is read over the school intercom, and you are sent to the office to pick up an All Star coupon for a free BBQ dinner at Famous Dave's. Charlotte has been feeling a little disappointed that although her name has been put in the drawing more that once, it hasn't been selected. 

Well, guess what happened on the Blue theme day during the 12 Days of Cheer? 

Charlotte got sent to the office!

The Palace Pets were pretty excited, too.