My wife ordered my birthday present about a week ago. She was trying to keep it quiet but then Ben saw her and wanted to "help" and gave it away in a big way. I think she ordered something for my Zimbabwe note set but I don't know for sure so this has me trying to limit / hold off on major purchases for the next couple of weeks until she gives it to me.

Ben has been very funny throughout this. First he insisted that he needed to get me a small present too that he had to pick out and then he kept talking about it. Then when it came in and the box was sitting in quarantine he kept talking about it being my surprise to my wife in front of me. Then, today, he and my wife open the box and hide the present while I'm still sleeping and he tries to tell me the box was empty and it was a nothing box. Riiggght. Because I was born yesterday... I've already been told by my wife to not expect much from this because he was clearly wanting to pick out things that are really more for him.  The funny thing is, even though he is as subtle as a brick through a window I still don't know what the presents are.  Not that Benjamin could read the pick number or denomination off a note, coin or label and tell me what they were if he wanted to... We're working on that though, slowly but surely. He's learning his letters. I need to train up my spy!

New case levels and transmission rates for Covid have been dropping in my area so I'm trying to convince myself to fill out the forms, box some stuff up and go to the Post Office to send some stuff in to NGC, but I'm also reading that they're about 2 weeks behind in opening mail, which I find pretty de-motivating.

Oh well. I just need to find some time and commit to start taking some steps. Even then, it may not happen until next week when Shandy and I have some kid-free  time for a week. It's hard to pull out coins, fill out paperwork and package delicate things for shipping when you have a super super helpful 4 year old and a 19 month old that is into literally freaking everything and wants everything in his mouth.... I wonder if a coin has ever been details-graded for having baby teeth / bite marks in the field or as rim damage. It's an interesting thought but not necessarily something I want to test. I might actually seize on that break / opportunity to motivate myself to knock it out - The kids go to their grandparents for a week on the 11th and I haven't been this excited about something for a while.