Tomorrow Emerson turns 10 years old. With this being the last full weekend I have off before air conditioner season starts, I told Emerson we could do anything she wanted to for her birthday weekend. This morning we woke up and I gave Emerson the choice of what to do today.
#1. Go bowling. (Today was "position" day for Emerson's bowling league. Emerson's team is up for 1st place and today she was supposed to bowl the other team tied for the 1st place spot.)
#2. Go to the town of Odell, IL and help with one of the many Route 66 Preservation Projects.
#3. Basically anything else SHE wanted to do.
She thought about it for a while and decided on the Route 66 project. So we got into the car and drove the 1-1/2 hrs. to the town of Odell. Becky wasn't feeling well, so it was just Emerson, Vivienne and myself.
The preservation project was repainting a 1932 Standard Oil Filling Station on Route 66.
The man in charge of the project, John Weiss, is an author of several Route 66 books, President of the Illinois Route 66 Preservation Society, and just happens to be good friends of ours. The first thing Emerson did was run up to John and say, "What can I paint?!"
Without hesitation, John handed her a paint brush and put her and Vivi to work.
Meanwhile, I was put to work putting up old automobile and filling station artifacts on the old barren shelves.
Before long some pizzas arrived and it was time for a break. After lunch a cake was brought out for Emerson and we all sang happy birthday. Then it was back to work for a few more hours before heading home.
I can't tell you how proud I was of Emerson today, to give up her "do whatever you want to do" day to help volunteer. I hope this means that we are doing something right in her upbringing.
She did say she had a lot of fun today. Vivi did too. Even if they did get more paint on themselves than the building. LOL! But even so, after we were all done, the place looked like brand new again!
Until next time... PEACE!
6 comments:
What an awesome way to spend the day! I truly believe you (with a little bit of help from Becky) are doing a wonderful job raising your daughters. Not many kids would want to go paint some old building in lieu of doing "anything else".
Im with Chicagolady on this one. At Emerson's age I can tell you that would have been the LAST thing in the world I'd want to do. Kudos to you and Becky for raising some wonderful kids!!
You've gotta be doing something right if she was so eager to do something like that. I know several adults who wouldn't even do something like that if you paid them, let alone ask to do it for their birthday weekend.
Way to go Emerson! And Vivie, of course! :)
And, way to go Matt and Becky for raising such a good kid. :)
Darn. WHen you are late to comment - you get turned into a Ditto Head. Ditto all the above comments.
That Standard Oil station probably didn't look that good when it was new! The gas pump is really cool!
That is fantastic!!! What a great kid you have! :o) I would be proud also!
BTW...you've been tagged!
Matt, you and Becky have every right to brag on the awesomeness (yes, that's a word) of your sweet girl. What a great thing to do! I'm sure this will be something she will remember forever!
And the fact that you remembered the camera AND remembered to take pictures: priceless :)
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