Driving through construction areas can be slow and boring. It is much more interesting when I have my toddler granddaughter with me.  Having a toddler makes everything more fun, and driving through construction areas are no different. 

Our favorite spots are the “bumps” on Main Avenue, a virtual kiddie roller coaster.  Wheee! (I would put my arms up, but letting go of the wheel is no option.) Wheee! Up and over the bumps we go, bouncing so high our bums are lifted off the seat and we are thankful for the seat belts that keep us from hitting our heads on the roof! Sometimes the bumps are so much fun that Rosie calls out “More!  More!” simultaneously using her toddler hands to do the sign language “more”.  Of course this means that I have to pull into the parking lot at St. Rose’s School to turn around and go in the other direction, which offers us two more opportunities on the ride.

On the other side of Apponaug there are many yellow bull dozers, forklifts and dump trucks.  Rosie gets excited over the color yellow and the variety of construction equipment.  She will point her little finger at the window and go “Look that!” I count while she gleefully points, “One yellow truck, two yellow trucks, twelve yellow trucks” and so on.  A construction zone provides plenty of educational material according to the Common Core Curriculum, this is a social studies and math.

Unless one gets a lot of tickets, rarely is there a police officer standing next to your car unless you are stopped in traffic.   We’ve had plenty of educational experience seeing such community helpers up close. Explaining why he/she is carrying so many weapons of mass destruction, (Taser, gun, baton, whistle…) is the challenge.  “But REALLY, they are our helpers…” I say as Rosie pulls in her little fingers and lays them in her lap, not wanting to get too close to what looks like what could be a very dangerous situation.

She is soon distracted as we drive through the orange cones, another chance to say “Wheee” as I weave in and out dodging cones that are out of place and in my line of travel.  Laughter again from the backseat.  Back and forth, up and down.  How much fun it is to travel through construction!

We eventually reach Toll Gate Road and the end of construction.  Rosie turns her head around, points out the back window and starts to cry as she does the sign for “more”.  But the construction is done.  Time for a new adventure.  “Rosie,” I say, distracting her, “Look at the pretty purple house!” There we are practicing our colors again.  She is going to be so smart when she starts nursery school!