GayPatriot

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Of State Quarters, Nieces & Nephews

by

While I would not have chosen Miami as the place to spend the last few days of 2007, I’m grateful that I joined my family here for this vacation. Not only did I get to spend some quality time with my Dad, walking on the beach together or just relaxing with the rest of the family, but I also got to play with my nieces nephews and one of my sisters and one of my brothers, the only ones who made it down for the holiday.

And I got to have fun with my step-sister and step-brother better while bonding with his kids.

I have to note the irony in passing the gay section of the beach while walking with my father. What in other company might have been a major distraction was, in this case, only a minor diversion, some nice ice candy, but of little sustenance compared to conversation with my Dad.

And I delighted in playing the “state quarter” game with my nieces and nephews. You see, sometime in 2000 or 2001, I decided to start collecting the state quarters for my nieces and nephews (who now number 15). At the bank, I’ve buying a roll each time the mint released the latest coin. Well, I started pulling some of the older ones out of my change (as I hadn’t yet gotten those for the kids). Soon, I found myself saving any and all state quarters I got in change.

I started accumulating quite a number of these special coins. Now, I have drawers full of them.

So, instead of just giving the kids the latest quarters, I’d realized I needed to find a means to share them with the kids without actually giving them away. Now, before each family trip, I grab a handful, pulling them out when the kids are present, offering my various niblings* (nieces and nephews) a quarter if they can spell the state correctly.

Last night, seeing my baggie full of quarters, one of my nieces offered to spell a lot of states to help me get rid of them faster. And this young lady happens to be a most gifted speller, determined to learn how to spell each state she gets wrong. (Earlier in the evening, she had refused to spell certain states, telling me they were “too easy.”)

I think now maybe I should change the game and make them learn a fact or two about the state before they can win their two bits.

Oh. One more thing. For all the trouble I take to saving these coins, I learned that once my nieces and nephews win them, they’re eager to spend them.*

This way, some other devoted uncle can collect them and save them for his niblings.

*********
*Well, at least they do keep those they put in the folders I gave them.

Comments

  4. I walked on the sea ice of Gulf of Bothnia Bay two blocks away and walk through some trees and a child’s play area for summer.

    My first arctic winter, I vowed that my 2nd one will be easier to handle. It is friggen cold here, I am homesick.

  6. Make it a little harder for the older ones. It should remain a challenge.
    As to their spending the quarters as soon as they get them. Once you give a gift it’s their to use how they please.
    Hopefully they will remember that what they bought came from a fun game with Uncle Dan.

  8. I grab a handful, pulling them out when the kids are present, offering my various niblings* (nieces and nephews) a quarter if they can spell the state correctly.

    may I borrow that phrase, niblings? I have about 10 of those

  12. Alas, the state quarter program is in its last year. I have 1 book for myself & trot to the bank to get a $10 roll when the new ones come out. I give the coins to my co-workers (one guy is doing 8 books). The presidential dollars are harder to find because the number of banks in which they are available are far fewer than for the state quarters (at least that’s the case in Maine). I still think if we want to have a successful dollar coin, we need to get rid of the paper $1 bill. Fat chance of that happening.