My Zane

March 2011

Now that my daughter is living in Grand Island, we don't see Zane as much anymore.  I haven't been looking after him while she is at work.  My 15 yr old daughter is on spring break and as we were looking for things to do, we decided on an afternoon in Grand Island one day.  She is looking for material for a new dress so we went to Joann's there for more options.  We didn't find any.  We came out thinking the stuff in Hobby Lobby at home is what she wanted. 

But, that's okay.  We need to visit here once in a while anyway.  We decided to look after Zane for the few hours that Lorene and Aaron's work schedules cross.  And then I could visit Jim's auntie in the nursing home, too. We really didn't leave enough time to get it all done.  I wish I had more time with Aunt Inez, but Lynette didn't want to be left alone, too long.  It's a weird place, where they are living, so I don't fault her for that.

It's different somehow, playing with grandchildren that your own kids, maybe it's cooler toys.  Maybe it's the fact that we've learned all ready those days of small cuteness don't last very long.  Maybe it's because we don't see them everyday and want to make every moment count. 

Anyway, I spent my time with him on the floor playing with his trains.  He LOVES trains, he loves to watch them, listen to them, and play with his own.  Where they live, a train goes by about every 10 minutes.  He can play a long time with his trains.  These are part of a Thomas the Tank Engine set, and they have batteries so they can go by themselves, on a track or not.  Zane now knows how to start and stop them, and put them on the track.

I thought it would be easier on me if we had a track that went all around (no picking up trains and turning them around.)  Plus, it's cool, to watch them go around and around. So, Zane started pulling out track pieces and the buildings he wanted.  I said I wanted some curved pieces and he got those.  (wow, he's smart!) We got it all put together, with a "train wash" building and a tunnel.  That train wash building, has a "stop/start" lever, so for quite awhile, he would flip the switch, stop the train, flip in again, away it would go, and he would flip it back to be ready the next time. 

After awhile that lost it's charm and he would put the trains, (two of them, one engine, one car)

 on the track, in the order HE wanted them.  If I did it wrong, he would have to change it. Away they went, and he laid down on the floor to watch them go through the tunnel.  Now, you may wonder why I only have these two pictures, and not pictures of the whole track, of him flipping switches, lying on the floor, etc.  But I didn't have my camera, and my phone it limited to taking relatively static photos, and besides, I was playing, too.  Not taking pictures. 

I love to see him playing with his toys. I love to see kids using their imagination as they play.  I don't think there is anything as important in children's development, as opportunities, to explore things with their hands and their minds.  And to be outside, too, but Lynette took care of that while I was visiting.  She took him out in the chilly wind to fly his kite.   

The next day we went to Lincoln.  For spring break, Lynette wanted to go to there to shop at Plato's closet, an upscale resale shop.  You can get name brand clothes for a fraction of retail.  Lorene wanted to come, too, and since she had Zane, I talked Jim into going.  We went to the mall, too, and instead of buying anything, we spent money on Zane, while the girls shopped.  Money to watch the train go around and money to ride the carousel.  This kid is so smart he knows that money makes things happen.  He kept asking for 'mawney' long after we told him we were done.

And after what started all this shopping bit, Lynette wanting some material to make a new dress.  She bought some really nice things, so we won't be sewing after all.