I want a new drug

We had a birthday party last night!  Our nephew, Josh, and his girlfriend Carli came over with their dog, Blue.  It was his birthday last week.  

Meri and Shub came too.

We were right up to 10 people and no hugs.  

A lot of fun tho.

After dinner, Leon, Josh and Carli played with a tennis ball in the front yard and our tree is in bloom!!!  

I love this time of year!

Oh, yesterday earlier, Leon wanted to play a game that he calls, "Inject with a virus and then a cure".

I thought, "wow!  The games these kids of the quarn come up with!"

He made little vials of both things made of Legos and then pokes you with the sharp end.

and they HURT!

Much like a real inoculation...

You have to pretend to feel woozy within seconds and then like you're dying, slumping onto the couch.

Then he injects you with the cure and you start feeling better and can finish vacuuming.

He could be practicing for when he's an important doctor someday...

I played along as did most of the group last night and thought it was cute!

So I posted it on our family group and Ryan said that he'd been playing Resident Evil with Leon and that's where that came from.

oh.

Well, it's still cute.

I wish there was a real injection that could cure everyone...

Creative Juices Unite!

Leon got out of school early yesterday and after he and I headed up to their book fair, then a grand-parent-teacher conference, Ryan started a Hogwarts Lego kit with him.

I'm not allowed to take pictures of Ryan without specific permission, so this is discrete.

Three hours straight...

It's another early out today so if they haven't finished it yet, they will!

Using up their creative juices just like I need to.

Yesterday before a trip to see my bestie, I remembered that she had asked me to mend her pants, so I was ten minutes later than I had wanted but I got them done.  What luck the machine was threaded with the right color already!!

I need to start a new sewing project soon for me to wear.  I'm sick of my clothes...

Have a creative weekend!

A Day of Sick and Stuff

As I sit here, Leon is roaming the house bouncing a teeny little ball on a paddle thinking he's doing it right and counting.  He got all the way to 102 then got bored and went back to his Legos.  

The Lego set that was taken away from him just after his birthday because he was grounded.  And then it was forgotten for  awhile.  Then he got re-grounded yesterday from all electronics until things improve at school.  So yay me!  It's going to be fun!!!  He found the set again and asked if he could do it finally.  sigh...  Well, Grandpa DID give it to Meri...  But Meri doesn't really like Legos... So yeah, you can do.  AND it will keep him busy.

Update: Ryan was able to come back and spend the day here with the boy! YAY!!!

Maybe now I can get to the chiropractor when he opens today!  Hope so.

AND the dryer isn't keeping up, so I may be working from the laundromat later too.  

Yesterday, Leon and I hit a nature trail.  

I had gotten paged while in town and had to stop and use my computer in the car. 

Hey look!  A ton of bikers getting ready for RAGBRAI!

Leon explored within sight of me and then we explored it all together. 

I'm thinking he should have worn the jacket even though he said he didn't need it...

He found a cool rock and proceeded to write onto the car with it.  LOOK Grandma, an N!

WHA?????  Give me that rock...

It's back in the park now. Leon has to do 3 super nice things to make up for permanently scratching my van.  I guess I won't be climbing into the wrong car at times because of that...

There's a bright side to everything!

 Ooh and look!  The fort will probably not last until June after all.

drat.

Nailing Things and the Future

 He got it done last night!  So for the 4 hours he worked on it on Tuesday and the 3 hours last night, Leon completed the dragon all by himself.  Ryan sat with him last night while he did it but didn't help.  Just watched and talked.

What he was shooting for.

I would have lost a few key pieces before getting it done six months later...

Nailed it.

As for sewing lately...

I've hand-stitched a ripped seam on Leon's Sonic the Hedgehog backback.

I've FINALLY finished Meri's leggings that I'd promised her for her birthday.  They just needed hemming and elastic..  Oh the things I put off...  

She wore them today and liked how they fit!  She said they fit like joggers.  Not sure what that is, but she likes them.  Good.

I've been organizing some of the gowns and costumes that I've made.  Maddy's wedding dress is now packed away neatly and ready for her to store when she gets into a house someday or whenever she wants it.  I'll know exactly where it is.  Several prom dresses sorted by girl and a special place for crinolines and it's not the trash.

I can actually reach my sewing machine now!  AND I found out what I had broken on my serger and got the part ordered.  It's just the needle plate and cheap, so hopefully that serger will be back in action by the end of the month.  

As soon as Meri's prom date gets a jacket from the Goodwill that fits him, I can get going on his prom outfit.  I need to order the fabric soon too.  Only 1.5 months before prom!  Yikes!

Gotta run.  Trying to find Robb's new bagpipe cover that he'd purchased and it got misplaced...  

St. Patrick's day is coming up!

Being a Trickster

It snowed yesterday in the wee hours of the morning!  And this is what we had when Leon got on the bus.  It snowed a little more throughout the day, but the temp also rose.  So the two inches I saw on the roof outside Leon's bedroom window was gone this morning.

He was able to make a few snowballs this morning yet, but they didn't pack.

Leon woke up early this morning.  I told him he could sleep for another 30 minutes if he wanted. 

direct quote, "Eh, I'd rather put together my Legos!"  And after yelling downstairs to a dark kitchen if Grandpa was still here, he asked if I'd come down with him so he could get started on them.  

He was scared.

That means I need to get up... right?...  sigh.  I went downstairs in a bathrobe, helped him get dressed and some food before I went back up to get myself ready for the day.

His big gift from his Daddy had been the HUGE Lego Ninjago Dragon set.  

He started it at 3pm yesterday and already has this much done entirely by himself.

We're going to make a diorama with it when he gets done and I'll take it to school to show his class.

I am impressed!  

Ryan got called in to work last night so I filled in for him at the parent teacher's conference.  Good thing I arrived five minutes early, because we used the entire 20 minutes.   For a kid that won't stay focused enough for a simple worksheet, I am shocked that he can bury himself in a Lego kit and concentrate so deeply!  I'm sure it has to do with what he thinks is fun...

How can we trick him into thinking learning is fun?

But First and Jazzy Legos

On Friday, Meri's Jazz Band competed with lots of other schools in a town about an hour away.  Luckily I'm FB friends with her director's wife, and she posted what time they'd be performing.  I thought "What the heck?!  I'll surprise her!"  So I went.  Thinking I'd be late, I actually arrived just as the band was setting up on the stage.

She was surprised!

Here is one video of them.  They played four songs.  All JAZZY...

Afterwards, I needed to get back to work, but Meri wanted me to wait until after their critique was done.  So I did...  A half hour later and my phone is at 3.4 percent of 1 percent power left.  Yes, it shows fractions...  Luckily Meri remembered a cable in the trunk that would work for my phone and the charger that she had along.  Whew!  I worked, she drove.  

Got back JUST in time to see off Leon and Robb.  Then I took Meri into town to get her car from the school.    

One of my sisters and only three of her kids arrived late that afternoon and I made some homemade pizza for them.  We played one of Meri's board games until Melanie and I were about to fall asleep at the table.  There is only so much yawning a person can do before dropping off.

During the night, I was awakened by a dog howling from the laundry room.  We keep the dogs there if we have company.  Plus we had a spare dog in the house that night too.  I went downstairs and found the boys partially asleep on the couches and they didn't even have the blankets on them that I'd told them were behind the couch.  BURRR!  I pulled the blankets out and covered them up.

Then dealt with the dogs.  Put the guest dog outside, then while waiting for that one, heard Duke hurling in the laundry room.  OH UGGGG...  I put them out too and cleaned that up.  Brought them all back in put the chair barricades back up so our dogs wouldn't see the guest dog and went to bed.

THEN at 4am, we heard some scuffling in the kitchen.  Uh oh.  which dogs got out?!  I tried to ignore it but it sounded like the dogs were tap dancing and we DID have company!  So I went back down and found Reedus had broken down the laundry room gate to check out the guest dog.  He'd jumped over the chairs and was frantic, knowing he'd get in trouble and was trying to get back behind the chairs with no luck.

Sigh... I moved a chair and put him back.  So morning came too soon.  I just felt bad for the boys in the living room!  How can you sleep after a dog has ralphed?  ick.

Well, as I've proven, you can.  but it takes a while.

On Saturday, Melanie's youngest was involved in a Robotic Lego tourney at the local state college.  So I met them for a quick lunch and headed over to see him compete.  They did well, but the robot really flubbed up on the last test, so they won't go to Nationals this year.  Just as well.  Melanie was SO ready to just go home and not do these again!  I think Jacob was too.

The boy with his back to us in blue is Jacob.  and his older brother was mentoring him.  He's the one with glasses looking straight at us.  He competed in this several years ago.

They did a presentation on their interpretation of how to solve the water problems in California.  Pretty clever!

They picked up their sister, who was hanging with Meri all day, after everything was over and headed for home, a 3 hour drive.

It was so fun hanging out with them!  

OH!  And I got Meri's first pair of leggings done!  Well, as done as they can get without another trying on session.  As soon as we can confirm how much elastic, then I can do the finishing touches and start stitching on the 2nd pair.

I've got so many plans for cruise clothes that I'm going to be making for myself this year!!!

But first, too many "but first"s...

Senior Year Blues

On Saturday, Robb, Meri, Leon and myself headed north with a truck carrying the futon and a van loaded down with several boxes and bags that Maddy had had packed and ready before her Colorado adventure.

It took FOREVER to get Meri and Leon out in the car and down the road.  In fact, even after we got in the van, it took 30 minutes to go 8 miles...  I kept an eye on the odometer after filling the tank.  REALLY??!!  We need batteries NOW?  And it took way too long to find a movie in stock at Redbox that Leon would actually watch.  Then he dropped his milk cup and juice cup down the side of his seat where neither Meri or I could grab it.  So I had to pull over for that.  

Then a ditch break later when Leon mistook a #2 indicator for a #1 indicator.  Didn't we just stop ten minutes ago and you used the restroom there?

Well, that stop was ok as we saw some wild turkeys in the ditch AND we were able to retrieve a Lego piece that he'd dropped earlier.

But we finally all showed up about the same time.  Robb had had to stop at a client's on the way up, so he'd left a lot earlier than us.

So Maddy has a new futon this year as the one she used for the first three years kind of bit the dust.  I bought this from a sewing buddie's garage sale a month or so ago.  It is SO much more comfortable!

I've gotten the measurements and plan to make a new cover for it sometime this fall.

Since Maddy is an R.A. and the only other person in the hall until her roommate (another R.A.) showed up 2, all the other dorm rooms were empty.  And Leon needed a nap.  He and Meri chose an empty room across the hall and napped on the bunk beds for a while.
Apparently we needed Leon refreshed the rest of the day activities.

We loaded the empty plastic tubs back into the van with bags of clothes that we'd accidentally brought along.  It was a miracle as we took more things home with us than we'd brought.

Well, she got moved in and most things put away.  The Christmas lights were up so our work here was done.  I managed to grab a pic with her and the guy before we headed off to dinner with his family at their home.

While Robb and I visited upstairs with Matthew's parents, we heard a CRRUUUUUSSSSH-SHHASSSSHH downstairs in their family room.  It's an interesting noise and one that I had actually heard many times before back in Iowa.  Matthew had dumped his three bins of Legos onto a huge heap and the girls, Matthew, Leon and his two sisters dug in.

Pure heaven... If you're under the age of 22 and don't have to worry about being the one to find the odd piece under your foot when you're walking through the room in the middle of the night.  His mom and I eventually couldn't resist and we joined them.

At the dinner table, Leon grabbed Matthew's usual spot and pretended to be Matthew for the duration of our visit. And Matthew had to pretend to be Leon. Kind of a Freaky Friday kind of thing...

We asked Leon Matthew how does Matthew behave? He grabbed Maddy's hand and started kissing it, and then proceeded to kiss up her arm. Matthew Leon claimed that he doesn't do that and acted embarrassed.

:)  Kids are pretty observant!

Leon was in rare form and ran around the living room almost crashing into a wall and informing us that it's no big deal because he has armor under his skin.  He got it from eating snow.  

???

Meri cooked up a plan to stay the night with Maddy and come home the next morning in her truck.  After a successful presentation, she and the girls all went to a movie, then she stayed the night on Maddy's new futon.

So when the rest of us were leaving after dinner for our long drive home, Leon Matthew acted like he was going back to his house with his new family.  Deb seemed concerned, "Um... what doesn't he like?!"  I told her vegetables.  So she said "Leon Matthew, we only have carrots, broccoli and peas in the house to eat!"

He was cheeky and said that he likes to try new things.

Liar!

So I had to go retrieve him and he sobbed saying that he wanted to live there and be Matthew.

Sigh.  Don't we all?...

I mean... LOOK at those Legos!!!

The sobbing only lasted until he was in his seat and I was getting a movie started for him.

About half way home, Leon finally went to sleep and woke up screaming with a bloody nose.  

Oh dear.  It was rather tricky to help him with kleenex and stay buckled up.

He howled, "How does this always happen???!!!"   I asked him calmly, "Did you pick your nose?"

"YES!!!!"  As if he was just following directions and this just happened anyway.

"That's why dear..."

So, just following directions and ending this post now.  It was a long but fun day.

And I'm going to miss Maddy.  Sunday was pretty emotional for me.  I hope we see her soon.

Freedom tastes good...

Leon came home last night and was bragging to everyone that he was "ungrounded".  YAY!!!  Because of him lying to his mom, he had been grounded from Legos and video games since last weekend.  

Pure hell...

for everyone involved...

During the week, I'd hidden all his Legos up high in the laundry room.  Out of sight, out of mind.  He poured over his Lego instructions ALL week as if in anticipation of what he would build when he got ungrounded.  I think he memorized a few of the booklets...

A few nights ago, the dogs saw the Legos and went for them.  The Legos came down and crashed all the little pieces all over the room.  What a mess...  They fell in the dog water and food, I'm sure there are still some under the dryer.  It took ten minutes to pick them all up.  FORGET sorting!!  Not that they were super sorted anyway...  But there were three boxes so who knows how he'd sorted them.

Last night, he wanted to play all his favorite games on the computer that he'd missed like crazy.  And since his most favorite Scooby Doo game is way too hard for him and is labeled I for impossible, he had Grandpa play it for him while he watched.  Kind of like when Meri insisted that I play the Nancy Drew games and she sat on my lap and watched.  

It is hysterical to see him mock Grandpa Robb when Robb falls into a pit on his 20th attempt to get Scooby past those silly bats...  That game is really impossible.

This is him this morning.  As if he was finally reunited with his old friends!  

AHHH....  Back to normal...