If you cannot be a child again...

[WQ9E]

Since we cannot be little again the next best thing is to share fun times with a little one.  Anna had a great Christmas day and it was fun for us too.  Her favorite present was a fairly expensive lab grade microscope I picked out for her (on behalf of Santa) and we had fun looking at some water samples from the creek today.  But the night vision goggles were also a big hit and she is excited about putting together the Globe Patrol regen receiver kit that Santa found in a storeroom up at the N. Pole (this will be my second chance to build one and it has been a LONG time since I put one together as my first kit).

It is almost as much fun as being a child again myself.  But I think maybe the kitten (Jungle Cat) had the most fun of all.

[WA1GFZ]

That's a fact.

[w1vtp]

Really great pics!  We have a cat like the one in the presents and tree.  Well done

Al

[WQ9E]

Really great pics!  We have a cat like the one in the presents and tree.  Well done

Al

Al,

Thank you and that is a very lucky cat.  I was preparing to burn a pile of brush in the pasture a few months ago when I heard a little meow.  I found a very tiny kitten with both eyes closed due to an eye infection.  There was no sign of a mother or other kittens and I took it into the barn to clean it up; it was late on Saturday afternoon so I didn't take it to our vet.  It was far too young to eat by itself so I fed it every couple of hours that afternoon and evening with an eyedropper containing milk and I mixed in a little animal antibiotic at some of the feedings.  I didn't really expect it to survive but the next morning it came wobbling towards me and after about a week it started drinking from a bowl and eating baby food.

Jungle Cat passed her first medical checkup with flying colors and she is extremely affectionate.  Our dominant female Siamese "alpha cat" finally gave up and accepted her and they now play together.  My suspicion is Daphne still looks down upon her mixed race playmate because Jungle has a whole lot of genetics going on with her mixed colors and hair length.

Rodger

[WA1GFZ]

I've had a few very loyal cats and this one sounds like it will be your friend for life.
I just read your story to the family and everyone was moved.
Our kitty is sleeping on the rocking chair next to me. 

[N3DRB The Derb]

Glo and I have nine. they are scattered all over the house asleep. The only ones awake are me and the big parrot. I think I am going to imitate them shortly.

[w3jn]

I got my nephew that same set of night vision goggles.  I understand they were a big hit  

Last year I bought another nephew a microscope that hooks to a TV.  Kids spent hours upon hours with that.

Got my younger son a steering wheel/pedal assembly for his Xbox for use with Forza 3.   That is REALLY cool - force feedback thru the wheel, and the only thing missing from the experience is the G forces.  WIsh I had something like that when I was a kid    I pussied out and tried it with one of the lower performance cars in the game - I found that the gear ratios in the Camaro are WAY too wide.

[k4kyv]

Since we cannot be little again the next best thing is to share fun times with a little one...
It is almost as much fun as being a child again myself.

Unfortunately, in our hyper-paranoid society to-day, someone will question your motives if it is not your own kid or your grand-kid.

[WQ9E]

Jungle is one of several house cats and the basement radio room is equipped with its own cat, Siamese Sam. 

The night vision goggles are a big hit.  They use a single sensor with a viewing screen centered for both eyes so there is no depth perception.  But they work pretty well and are a lot of fun for all.

Don, you are right about society today on many levels.  Anna needed a new dress for her Christmas program at school and I had some free time so I went into a department store to pick one out for her.  Maybe I was being paranoid but I felt like I got some pretty odd looks from some of the mothers also picking out little girl's clothes.  I am sure some of them were trying to recall if I looked like any of the child molesters on the post office photos.

I think I also created a bit of a situation in her Kindergarten class last month by behaving in a manner more consistent with my childhood in the 1960's.  I volunteer every other week to help with the reading and math stations.  There are a couple of little boys who consistently refuse to complete their work because they are tired or don't feel like it and they usually get away with this behavior.  They ended up in my group and after a quiet conversation with no positive results in a much louder voice I informed them that there is a problem and it is going to be resolved NOW and you will complete your work now without any comments or backtalk.  I don't think Anna has heard me raise her voice before and she looked very surprised and the teacher and her assistant had the deer in the headlights look but the boys got to work and they have not been a problem for me since.

Maybe I shouldn't have watched Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino before going to Kindergarten but I do think it had a positive impact on the miscreants.  If they don't start out properly it is only going to get worse.

Rodger

[W3SLK]

Rodger said:

If they don't start out properly it is only going to get worse.

Very astute observation Rodger. Unfortunately, this behavior has been tolerated for years. Thus why the education system is in shambles. 'Spare the rod, spoil the child' has been my mantra. I come from a time when the principals in my elementary school, (Francis E. Drumheller), all looked like they could play linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. If you were sent to them (which I was numerous times), you were in for a painful reception. Eventually, the point sunk in.
We now return you to your regularly (unhijacked) thread.