November 19, 2004 - Friday
My plan for after school today was to take the boys to find a present for their grandfather who will be 71 tomorrow. I wasn't quite sure what that would be, but I'd plan to ask Harry what he thought would be a good present. He's a thoughtful little guy and I've done that with him for his mother's birthday over the last couple of years with encouraging results. But as we were leaving the school I knew I already had the answer. Harry showed me the picture that he had drawn that day in school and immediately identified it as a picture of the Vermont house, the house that grandpa had designed and built almost 40 years ago.

Since it's impossible to know how kids will react to random suggestions, I didn't say anything about my idea right away other than to say what a nice picture it was. After all, the thought of giving the picture away might have thrown Harry completely off. So, I went on plan for a few minutes and asked Harry what he thought grandpa might like. The answers were impressive, if a little impractical.

"We could get him a rake." The last time the boys were at grandpa's house they ended up playing in the garage with the rakes and shovels.
"I think grandpa has a few rakes already. We should think of something he doesn't have."
"Maybe we could him something for his tractor." Grandpa has a big red farm tractor that the boys have both climbed on.
"Like what, Harry?" No real answer.
"How about a tree for him to plant?"
"That's a very nice idea, but grandpa and grandma are going to be moving in the spring to the new house in Maine and if they plant a tree they wouldn't get to bring it with them."
"I know, we could get them seeds so they could plant a tree at the new house." This is really fine problem solving and a nice idea, clearly an outgrowth of the nature lessons at school. It's a good idea, but maybe it's time to turn the conversation.

"Harry, I have an idea. You know, grandpa built the Vermont House himself. I bet that he would really like your picture. Do you think you'd like to give that to him for a present?"
"Yeah," he says with some confidence.
"You know what we could do, we could go to the frame store and get a nice picture frame for it and put your picture in that so it's protected. What do you think of that idea?"
"Good." Harry said good, and I think he meant it sincerely, but the conversation had also started to lose his interest a little bit back, so "good" was also a way for him to just move on. What's more, since that initial firm declaration that his picture was of the Vermont House, his own interpretation of the work had started to change to a "turkey."

We found a nice frame. That, too, took a little longer than Harry would have liked, but it will be a nice gift.


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