Yesterday while picking up coins a teller gave me a foreign coin she had been saving for me. I had no idea where it was from. I had some guesses based on the motifs used, but I didn't recognize the script. It took a bit of searching, but finally I discovered it was an Ethiopian 25¢. A new country for me! The eleventh of the year.



Other than that my coins were pretty boring yesterday.

50 small dollars had one mint set dollar (2006P).

3,720 quarters produced two Canadians, two US nickels and one US dime.

3,400 dimes yielded me one silver Rosie (1959) and six Canadians.

1,560 nickels rounded up five (3 Ni) Canadians.

8,600 pennies landed me one proof (1993S), sixty Wheats, nine Canadians, eleven US dimes, one Euro 2¢ and one UK penny (1971).

1912, 1920, 1935(2), 1937, 1940(3), 1941(2), 1942(4), 1944(7), 1945(4), 1946(2), 1946D, 1948, 1948D, 1950, 1951, 1951D, 1952(3), 1952D, 1953D, 1955(2), 1956, 1956D(3), 1957D(6), 1958(4), 1958D(6)

Found: two pennies

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! Round one is over and round two is just around the corner. It was a good Christmas for us.

Christmas for me began on the 23rd. I had a great time taking the kids shopping on Friday. Henry was very excited to find a pair of earrings for Meg (he blew the secret and then later insisted she put them on). I was surprised I could get as much shopping as I could with them in tow. They definitely surprise me with patience sometimes.

On Christmas Eve we went to church early. Greg, Evan and I participated in our church's Christmas pageant. I was a shepard with one live sheep to lead to the front of the church and back. Afterwards we went to my sister's for supper. Meg and I wrapped presents when we got home.

The next morning all the gifts were under the tree when the kids woke up. We waited a bit and then opened them all up. The kids were much more into unwrapping than last year. Hazel did an excellent job (she even unwrapped on of Aunt Jess's gifts) and Henry didn't want to stop. If you ask Henry if Santa came to our house he'll still tell you he didn't, but I'm pretty sure he got his full share of stuff. After a special breakfast we went to Nana and Grandpa's for dinner, present unwrapping and much playing.

The spirit continued the next day when we had a supper at our house for Uncle Steve, Aunt Susan and cousin Rhea.

Now we're pretty beat, but very excited to enjoy the holiday with the rest of our family. I'm sure Henry and Hazel are ready for more presents!



Henry and cousin Liam posing for the camera.



Hazel in her Christmas mini-skirt.



Henry very excited about a package of Swedish fish he got. Hazel was just as excited about her package of gummy fish. I'm not sure both of them knew what they were. Hazel insisted on napping with her package.



Hazel looking on as Henry unwraps his big train present. At one point Henry exclaimed, "you got exactly what I wanted!" At other points he seemed a bit confused and was suggesting for some reason that all our presents had come from Nana. When we told them they didn't he didn't seem to mind, but told us he wanted to bring them all to Nana's house and asked if the gifts he opened at her house could be brought home.



An action shot of Hazel unwrapping. She's really pretty good at it.



I spent a good chunk of the day putting toys together. It was a lot of fun for me. Meg made us a special Christmas breakfast while I played with the train.



Henry showing me his gift from Uncle Jim and Aunt Carol. He didn't quite get that I wanted a picture of his face and the gift.



Nicole took this picture of Hazel in her Christmas outfit.

12 small dollars had nothing.

8,025 half dollars turned up just one 40% silver half (1967).

5,760 quarters produced six Canadians, two US dimes and one US nickel.

5,150 dimes turned up one silver Rosie (1961), four Canadians and one Polish 10 Grozy.

2,840 nickels yielded two dateless Buffaloes and four Canadians.

Found: 2 pennies

2,400 quarters had two Canadians and one US nickel.

1,200 dimes rounded up one Canadian and one US penny.

1,040 nickels yielded two Canadians (1 Ni).

3,300 pennies produced sixteen Wheats, thirteen Canadians, three US dimes and one Uruguay 1 Peso (1994). The Uruguay coin is the first one I've found from that country. It's the tenth new foreign country I've found this year! I now have just four countries left to find in the Americas, Haiti, Suriname, Bolivia and the Falkland Islands. (I haven't found in Chile in circulation. I found it as a coin counter reject.)



1934, 1936, 1940(3), 1941, 1944, 1945, 1946(2), 1947, 1950D, 1952D, 1955, 1956D

Found: 1 penny

Well, the weekend might have been more tiring that Meg and I wanted it to be, I'm still behind in shopping I want to do for Christmas and the kids aren't always on their best behavior these days, but I don't care! I had a nice birthday party and wonderful time at Henry's school yesterday.

On Friday we did our usual and ate at Friendly's. Then on Saturday I attended our church pageant rehearsal with Greg and Evan and Henry and Hazel spent time with their Cioci and Liam. Sunday meant a nice time at church (Hazel's still doing well in the nursery). In the evening Meg threw a birthday part for me at our house. It included a great meal of my favorites, football on TV and some kid crazyness.

Yesterday I went in to work late so I could attend Henry's school art show with Meg, Hazel and Nonnie (my mother-in-law). We had a wonderful 20 minutes. Henry showed us around, we marveled at his artwork (we don't see this level of expertise at home much) and had a snack. Meg and I are so proud of some very nice things the assistant teacher told us about Henry. We think Hazel's going to be ready for school very soon. She thinks she is ready right now.



This is a good shot of Hazel that Henry took with our camera. He's getting much more consistent with his camera work.



Henry and Hazel playing with their computers.



Me opening my birthday gifts with the cousins. At this moment I was looking at Liam's excellent homemade Star Wars birthday card. It says, "Star you are" ... excellent Yoda-speak!



Henry's still life. I think this is his best work yet.



Henry's picture and frame (in the center) as shown with other student's work. The assistant teacher told us that Henry spent almost the whole class making the frame, laying out the jewels exactly as he wanted them.



Henry and Hazel enjoying a snack in Henry's classroom. Hazel made herself instantly at home.

I've searched a lot of coin already this week. It's been decent.

169 small dollars had two mint set dollars (2 x 2005P) and one new one, 2011D Garfield.

11,920 quarters produced three silver Washingtons (1952D, 2 x 1964), fifteen Canadians, eleven US nickels, five US dimes, one UK 10 pence and one Cayman Islands 25¢.

5,550 dimes turned up two silver Rosies (1953D, 1957D), eight Canadians (including one 1959, 80% silver), one Barbados 10¢, one UK 5 pence and one Swiss ½ franc.

3,040 nickels rounded up three War Times (2 x 1943P, 1943D) and nine Canadians (4 Ni). That's only the 2nd 1943D nickel I've found!

2,500 pennies got me thirteen Wheats, twelve Canadians and one Bermuda 1¢

Found: 2 pennies

8,000 halves had nothing.

5,000 pennies produced twenty-one Wheats, thirty-nine Canadians and one Bermuda 1¢.

1917, 1918S, 1936, 1941, 1942(2), 1944, 1945(2), 1945D, 1946, 1949(3), 1952D(2), 1953D, 1955, 1956D(2), 1958

Found: 1 penny, 1 dime

The List

Although he doesn't read Henry still insisted that yesterday Meg show him "The List." We've explained some of Christmas to Henry, but the thing that has stuck with him most is that their is a list of toys that he's getting (somehow). He constantly says, "can we put that on the Christmas list?" and "do you think I'd like that for Christmas?" It's kind of cute. I just sure hope he's not disappointed that everything he's seen between mid November and Christmas isn't under the tree!

Hazel has been blissfully unaware (although yesterday she did want to open up Henry's gift while he was at school). We're very thankful she has been sleeping better and seems to have beaten her sickness. Lot's more talking has begun too! I can't wait to hear what she has to say even more.

I didn't find that much coin towards the latter half of this week. My trip to California kind of disrupted my game a bit.

50 small dollars had nothing.

1,040 quarters produced three Canadians and two US nickels.

700 dimes yielded two Canadians and one Irish 5 pence.

4,150 nickels rounded up one War Time (1943P), thirteen Canadians (6 Ni) and one Swiss 20 Rappen.

9,350 pennies had thirty-six Wheats, forty-five Canadians, one US dime, one Mexican $10 (1989), one Euro 2¢ and one Bahamas 1¢.

1918, 1925, 1929, 1941, 1942, 1944(3), 1945(2), 1946, 1948, 1948S, 1949, 1950D, 1951, 1951D(3), 1952, 1953(2), 1953D(4), 1954D, 1955, 1955D, 1956, 1956D, 1957D(2), 1958, 1958D

5,880 quarters produced silver Washington (1952, 1959D), nine Canadians, four US nickels, three US dimes, one Bermuda 25¢, two arcade tokens and one Lebanonese 500 Livres. The Lebanonese coin is a new country for me! It's the ninth new country of the year. In this batch was also a new modern one for me, the 2011P Chickasaw.



4,500 dimes rounded up four silvers (1944, 1960D, 1961D, 1964), twelve Canadians and one Bermuda 10¢.

Found: two pennies