Kids Enjoyable, Writer Explains

HELLO FOLKS — Well! Well! Doug and Tracy Vandegrift finally got a son after five daughters. Congratulations to them. Wonder if they took the advise Vera and I gave them a while back? Fact is, we gave them several ideas that were supposed to encourage having a male child. I have an idea that Doug's chest is a couple inches larger these days.

I've heard it said, however, "Just get the girls, the boys will follow."

—o—

THE YOUNGSTERS had their Halloween fun. They each had their costumes and went out for Unicef. Brent has a leopard suit, Mark a devil, Adell a dancing girl, Zina a bat, Randy was Fred Flintstone, and Ann was an Indian maid. Brent decided to stay home when his mother put his leopard pajamas over his clothes.

—o—

AS I HAVE said before, there is no greater joy to me than having children around. I think the age of two to five is when I get the biggest charge out of them. They say so many cute things and get things twisted around easily in a way that produces a good belly laugh.

Brent is in that stage, he is three. He has this leopard suit that he calls a tiger suit. It has a hoot to it that covers all but his face. He insisted on wearing it to bed. The first night it got twisted around and he woke up and started crying. All his mother could see was the back of his head and I guess it seemed funny to her.

The other morning he was telling about his dream.

"There was a tiger and two lions fighting, — I was the tiger."

"Who won?" asked his mother.

"Not one — THREE!

"I mean, who won the fight?" explained mother.

"I did."

Yesterday we wanted to go outside. "Get your shoes and I will help you put them on," said mother.

He went out on the porch and was back in a few seconds.

"Here they are. Notwput them on." There he had two squash and was playing a joke on his mother.

—o—

EVEN IF the under-five age is the cutest, the ones over five are not to be outdone. The girls in kindergarten and first have to have their loves everyday. When school started the rush for the bus eliminated that moment, I thought. But when they got home from school Adell came running to me, "Daddy, you forgot something today."

I couldn't remember but she never forgets. So now it is usually in the evening that they show their affection.

Somehow, nothing seems to be too wrong when children think you are tops.

Census Bureau Must Know

HELLO FOLKS — It's time to take the farm census and the enumerators are out doing their job. There are a lot of questions that might seem of no value to anyone but I suppose they do make sense to the Census Bureau.

—o—

BEFORE HALLOWEEN is too far past, let's think a bit about it. It's the one time in the year when blackmail is legal for the junior league. It is still punishable by prison terms for the rest of us.

It is a good thing for the young ones to get out and "unbend" but I question the advisability of encouraging them to tricks or treat in the manner which it is done. I know of one man who leaves town for Halloween. The hords of children who come knocking and threaten tricks or treats gets him plenty upset. It isn't that he is not generous enough; he is as kindly a man as I know but he is getting up in years and it is more than he can stand.

Wouldn't it be a lot better if we taught the children to 'trick and treat' in a different manner? For instance parents could teach them little tricks, songs, jokes or stunts. They could go around from house to house showing off their talents, entertaining instead of being pests, giving instead of receiving. Surely that would be more uplifting and character building. We did it this year as a church group and it was a heap of fun. What say we give it a try on a community basis next year?

—o—

I THINK this Halloween was the most fun I have had at home. The children each got themselves a suit. They needed some nighties anyway so Vera made them each a different one. Mark got a leopard suit. Adell a bunny suit. Zina a Chinese suit and Dana a skeleton.

Randy made a costume out of cardboard — he called it Randy the Robot. Ann was a Devil and Jared a tramp. Karen was a cloak and dagger spy and Vera a Gypsy.

What gave me the most laughs was Adell. I hid my face when I saw the cotton Vera had sewed on for the bunny tail. That was signal enough for Adell, who has been teasing me a lot lately. Every time she got a chance she would wave that tail in front of me just to get a 'raise'. She is really proud of it and I guess she has a right to be; it isn't ever one who can go to bed at night with a 'cotton tail'.