Quote 4
I stared. We'd covered the Mexican War in school that year. "Grandma, the Mexican War started almost ninety years ago. Even if Uncle Grady is a hundred and three, he'd only have been about my age during that war." (7.133)
Joey suspects that Uncle Grady isn't actually as old as Grandma claims he is, but by now, he knows better than to try and talk her out of her schemes. They're going to claim that Uncle Grady is the oldest settler, and that's that.
Quote 5
"Got a new pet?" I inquired.
"Chicago people have pets," she said. "But there's a new litter living down in the cobhouse now, and I let 'em. They keep down the vermin. Don't need all of them though." (7.94)
Grandma Dowdel doesn't live by the kids' city ways; she doesn't keep pets in the same way that they do. Instead, she just lets a bunch of cats (and kittens) live in the cobhouse, but she's not attached to them or anything.