It's the small things.
On Tuesdays, I post a picture (or two) and just a few words.
Sonia and Zoe like to come with me when I need to take my van in for a tire rotation. This is not because tire rotations are very exciting, but because there's a free hot chocolate machine at the shop.
And there's also a vending machine, which is awfully fun if you remember to bring a bit of spending money with you.
Vending machine candy is rather expensive per pound. But they are so happy about the experience of using the machine, I actually think they're getting a lot of bang for their buck. 😉
It's all about the experience!
One of my favorite experiences as a child was going to the this country store and being given a dollar worth of penny candy. In truth some were 2-3 cents each and rock candy was 15 cents. Talking about it makes me sound like I'm older than my early 30s age would have you believe, but the idea of 8 year old me figuring out how to spend a dollar was a big deal to me.
Also, where you get your tires rotated seems a heck of a lot more interesting than the place I go (which is a smelly but very busy local garage.)
Aww, this is a sweet post!
And free hot chocolate? Yes, please!
My siblings and I used to be given a quarter at Sears and could go to the candy counter there and pick out that much worth of candy. Our Sears had a candy counter back in the day -- did others? Anyway, I almost always chose the dark chocolate stars -- they gave me more chocolate for my money than those filled with caramel or nuts. We were allowed to make our own decisions, good or bad. It was the highlight of our shopping experience; we normally weren't allowed candy and it only occurred four or five times a year, so it was treasured. Kristen, your kids will always have this as a "remember when we used to love to go with mama to rotate the tires?" And they'll smile.
Yes, I think there's actually a lot of value in being allowed to make some of your own decisions as a kid, especially when it's something inconsequential like vending machine candy. You learn the value of money and what you get for that money when you make varying decisions. Such a great way to learn!
And yes to the memories too. I thought about leaving them home with older siblings and then I thought, "Oh, no, I should see if they want to come along!" Because heaven knows they won't want to come along for that much longer, you know?
You're so right about that Kristen! Time goes by so quickly. It seems like we blink and our kids are grown.
I like to get a free hot drink when I take my car in for service. For many years we flew through the Minneapolis airport and my daughter always loved to buy something from a vending machine, and she liked to buy me a snack as well. I think it's a novelty factor.
I have to laugh because 1, I totally remember being super excited as a kid to use a vending machine or be allowed candy, and 2, because in that photo they look super bored 😀
Heh, that's because they'd finished the schoolwork they brought and were engrossed in some YouTube animal videos! So they were just focused on that. 😉
Growing up (probably close to 30 years ago), we used to go to Chicago a lot and stay in this hotel where kids ate free, so we got to choose hot chocolate as a beverage--with whipped cream! To this day, I still have that memory and remember the joy of that treat. So, yes, experience is totally worth it.
I love the age timeframe when children get so excited about the smallest things. It really makes you step back and be grateful for the little, amazing things in life! Your post also reminded me of 1 thing to write in my Gratitude Journal today...all of the men in my family (including my husband) are mechanically inclined and own/work in a field that requires those skills. I have never in my 16 years of driving had to pay for labor on a vehicle, and always pay wholesale cost on parts thanks to my dad's company. The little things 🙂
This is such a cute post :).