Sunday, June 7, 2009

The difference between men and boys...





...is the size and price of their toys. Meet Perry's new BFF. We call him John and he moved in with us this week.





I should point out that Perry grew up in an apartment so he never had the joy of HAVING to mow the yard growing up. My sister and I remember having to mow the lawn when we were 6. OK, maybe 10, but today that seems pretty young to let a kid loose with a machine with giant rotating knife blades! And I remember our yard growing up as being HUGE! (It probably wasn't, but it sure seemed that way when you had to waste a perfectly good summer day doing yardwork.)

In all our years of home ownership, Perry has let me mow the grass all of 2 times. Once in our old house when he was out of town and once at this house just recently when his schedule was crazy and we were worried our neighbors were going to report the high grass! That arrangement is fine with me since I spent a good deal of my childhood mowing the yard.

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In the first house we owned, we had a double lot so a fairly large yard for that neighborhood. I remember how excited Perry was to buy his first push lawnmower. By the time we left, he had upgraded to a used riding lawnmower. We currently have 2 acres and quickly discovered our used rider wasn't going to cut it, so we bought a more powerful (yet still affordable so not super powerful) rider within a few weeks of living here. Even with that, it would still take him the better part of a day to mow the grass.

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All it took was for me to give up a day to mow the lawn to suggest he look at a more powerful mower. I set a budget and he promptly doubled it. :(



So this bad boy can knock out the lawn in half the time as the old mower. Time he can better spend with his family and that's priceless, right? (Have to keep telling myself that and I choke over the actual cost.)

Carson looks pretty excited to be playing on it, doesn't he? Wait a minute, isn't he 10?!? Isn't that age I was when I had to mow our HUGE lawn?!? Hmmm.... He might not be so excited when he's given the chore of mowing the lawn! I think we need to drag out that ol' push mower to show him what it was like the "olden" days!

And at the very least, it can serve as a hill-billy amusement ride!

5 comments:

Karen said...

Great post & great pictures of your boys with their new "toy"- that thing is the stuff dreams are made of- that, and a barn full of woodworking tools, according to my husband!

C's Mom said...

My Lil Johnny is a bit more petite than your hoss but I have to say it isn't just the men and boys that like the toys...that green guy has saved my life ;0)

Tammie said...

Back when I was Elise & Erin's age, I used to spend part of my summer in the Catskills with my grandmother. Her best friend owned a small bungalow colony. I used to love riding the mower with Esther's sons. Back then I don't think anyone thought any differently. Now? I'd be darned if I let Erin get on one.

I hope Perry & Carson enjoy their new toy!

Vivian M said...

Congrats on the newest family member, he looks like he will earn his keep!

RamblingMother said...

Oh I had to mow the homestead of 2 1/2 acres myself on a slow riding mower. Took all day. Sucked big rocks, actually. I still have to mow my yard, not as big but all push, ugh. Still sucks big rocks, actually.