Thirteen and Bored

I picked up a hitchhiker on the drive home from California: Our thirteen year old grand son, Lil' Bud.

It appears that one week with us is all he can handle. Texting, My Space, computer games. The life and times of a 13 year old.

Poor kid isn't flying home until Thursday.

Last Saturday we took him and some of our friends tubing on the Snake River - so it hasn't been a total dud for him. He was proud of his bumps and bruises, and the fact that he body slammed the water less often than the other young fellows.

We visited the museum today. Here you will find him posing in one of the cells from the old Washington State Penitentiary. He enjoyed sitting in the cell, acting the part of a felon, and begging to be set free.


The blurry photo is possibly his great great grandfather who worked there. I attempted to zoom in on a tiny photo of the employees that was on the far wall of a glass display case.

Of course we enjoyed the old fire engine and buggies. (He has his grandpa's eyes!)



There was plenty of antique equipment associated with wheat harvest.

This is an original 33 mule team combine...with plastic mules of course. His Great Great Grandfather (Pops) and Pops brother Speedo* worked with mule teams during harvest. To its right is an original wagon that hauled the wheat behind four huge draft horses. The guy who "sacked" the wheat earned $5 a day.



"Hey Grandma," he called, "Come over here and take a picture of this scary baby!"



Eeek. She sure is.



*The name Speedo was his moniker long before there were any swimsuits adorned with that tag. He earned that nick name in 1908, when he caught a fly in mid air while eating breakfast in his high chair.

Comments

Amanda said…
That certainly IS a creepy doll. Wouldn't that be something if that was Pops???
Carla said…
Looks / sounds like lots of fun stuff for a 13 year old. Tubing, visit to former state pen cell. Lots of fun.
Peter said…
What no texting, computer games,or my space???? Guess he had to make do with that other stuff!!!!!!!!!
Kila said…
What a lucky boy :)

Dolls freak me out, LOL.
LadyStyx said…
That doll's enough to give one nightmares.
Karmyn R said…
And to think that freaky doll used to be some child's favorite treasure. eek is right!

Poor kid...I don't think it would have been anymore fun for him here - the kids have a dentist appointment and then Vee is coming for a playdate (even more little kids for him to watch?) Unless he would have enjoyed watching chickens.
ChrisB said…
Haha I have my grandson coming to visit again soon, and I bet he will bring his laptop with him!
dawn said…
My kids lost interest in going to the grandparents place when they were about that age. It took a little longer for them to lose interest in the other grandparents place at the farm; more to do. My sister wants to get some draft horses to do some farm work, mostly hauling logs. Looks like you are showing Lil Bud a good time anyway. And Speedo, what a guy with the fly.
DesLily said…
looks like fun to me! next time take me instead ok?! lol
Beckie said…
We went tubing on the snake on Saturday - BRRRRR is all I can say.
Hayden said…
woof! In his high chair? My my my... Obama should come to him for lessons.
I have 3 teenagers coming this weekend for a two week visit and Grandma and I have been racking our brains about how to make it enjoyable. Does trimming trees count? That museum sounds like a neat place to go. I like viewing old farm equipment and etc. I guess if he likes antiques you could show him "your" pictures. Ha,ha,ha.
Attie said…
Hello there!! Hum...sounds like a very intresting visit!! And that doll...yes quite creepy!!
Hi! Thirteen is such a hard age...our oldest Grand will be thirteen in July..serves her Mother right too..it is about time she gets some payback! It sounds like you were busy, most boys are happy looking at stuff with wheels!
Love the Speedo nickname..what a great little funny story!
Thank you for your comments on my blog, I do appreciate them! :) Connie
Unknown said…
Scary baby indeed! Our son went to stay with his brother when we got back from vacation and he's still there! I'm beginning to wonder if he'll ever come home!
Mozi Esme said…
I love the history here - Speedo...

And that doll is too funny! I'm sure she was quite the treasure in her day.
Gattina said…
Not so easy to keep a boy of that age busy, lol !
I am happy to have internet now here at the Garda Lake and it even works, because it's raining and I was bored. tomorrow I will go with son and Dil to Venice haven't been there since at least 25 years !
But here it's only the 19th time and it's always the same, lol !
MarmiteToasty said…
I have a couple of well old dolls that have always scared the hell out of me lads lol...... sometimes I would use them to my advantage lol

x
karisma said…
LOL! Gameboy seems to think he is 13 already as opposed to the whole 11 1/2 that he is. Every now and then I torture him and won't let him use any technology, he usually after two days or so actually enjoys himself! Shock horror!

Shame he is not as easily amused as his mama! Here I sit getting distracted by Marmite Toasty's little dancing duck and find myself jigging along! Man, I think I need to get outside more! LOL
Merle said…
Hi Pamela ~~ Does it annoy you as much as it does me,to hear anyone saying they are bored? There is so much to see and do and learn now with
the technology we have.
My ear is quite better thank you. I
always didn't like putting boots and shoes on kids much, so the joke was funny. I see Peter is stealing your thunder - about the dust. The cheek!!
Take care, Love, Merle.
Desert Songbird said…
I'm not 13, but I think that baby looks scary, too.

Sigh.

I have a bored 13yo here, too, but unfortunately she's mine, and she's not going anywhere.
Wendster said…
You know ... I think some people just don't THINK when they buy toys for their children.
For instance. My Mom painted a picture of a clown and hung it over my crib.
I HATED that clown! It looked evil and like it was going to do me harm.
As soon as I was able to speak I begged her to take it down.
She was crushed ... but she did.

That's the earliest memory I have.

I wanna go river tubing!

Fun fun fun.

Did you go too, or did you watch from the shore?

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