Slap Bracelet

My children have these slap bracelets they got a while back.   They’re plastic covered but inside there is a metal that if hit the right way, curls up.    Whenever they find their bracelets they have fun slapping them on and off and wearing them around all day.    I don’t remember where we got them.   It might have been in a gift bag from a birthday party, Nana may have given them to them or we got them at the dollar store.   They’ve been around a while and are showing some wear by now, but each time I see them it reminds me of an adventure my mother and I went on as a child.

The details are obscured, as is common with childhood memories, but my mother had gotten some supplies from a company and they had given her a one foot ruler that did the slap bracelet curling behavior.   We’d never seen something so fun before and my mom wondered if we could get another one or two.  

The location of this company was a bit out, but she said if we went there and asked if we could have two along with the materials I think she was planning on getting, maybe they’d give them to us.   On the way, my mother told me about what a fun name the company had: Cooper Group Lufkin.   She said when you called, the receptionist would answer, saying the company’s name very quickly in an upwards lilt.   She and I practiced saying their name and indeed, it was fun to say quickly.

We arrived at what looked like a large factory and parked.   My mother told me to wait and she’s go inside.    I sat in the car and hoped and hoped they would let her have some of those curling rulers.   In a few minutes she came out looking rather normal, but when she got to the car she had a big grin on her face and handed over two rulers.

We played with them until we over bent them and they lost their coiling capabilities.   From the amount of hours of fun we had, I think it was worth the long drive out to the Cooper Group Lufkin building.   Thanks, mom.

The Big Boy Update:  My son came into the house from outside with his friends this morning.   He said he needed a bag.   I asked what size of bag and he said, “to put a transformer in”.   This was confusing to me although I guessed it had something to do with the transformer toys and shows he loves.   I showed him several sizes and he picked the smallest bag.   Later, they came in with a butterfly they found that had died gently placed in the bag.   When he said transformer, did he mean an animal that transforms like a caterpillar does into a butterfly?

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter wants to ride her bicycle now.   With some starting help from my husband she can pedal and stop without a problem, but she can’t get going without assistance.   With the weather we’ve been having, she’ll be able to get in more practice soon.

Fitness Update:  I ran a 5K yesterday and completely forgot to write about it.   Something was bothering me, like I was missing something and indeed I was, only I didn’t realize it until today.  My cousin and I ran in a small race that started and ended at a new farmers market that was opening for the first time yesterday.   The race was mostly on greenway trails and was a relaxing, beautiful environment in which to run.   We had a good time chatting as we ran.    We didn’t run fast, but that wasn’t the point.   I don’t ever run fast if I can help it though, so that suited me just fine.