Bowling For Weekends!

I saw a skit or heard a comedian one time that said that all the presidential candidates should just go bowling and the winner gets the presidency...  

BOWLING FOR PRESIDENT! 

I am ALL for that!  Because I'm in Iowa and lucky Iowa gets the first caucus!  yay us.  That means that 9 out of 9.2 phone calls we receive on our house phone are political surveys or invitations to town hall meetings.  Yikes!  I haven't hung up on so many people since 4 years ago!  I'll be SO glad when February 2nd rolls around, and my Sunday school kids will quit bringing up the election!!  At least until summer.  First graders discussing politics when they should be discussing other things is probably not recommended.  It got pretty heated during the craft portion of my class yesterday...  

I had to nip it in the bud.

And just so you know... your kids are listening and understand more than you think.

wow.

As Sluggy pointed out on Friday, I probably win with the number of posts I have that contain the word Random in the title.  

I probably win with the most posts that contain the word Weekend in the title also!

On Friday, right after work, Robb, Ryan, Leon and myself headed to the bowling alley.  If we got there early enough, we shouldn't have a problem getting a lane right?  At this place, almost all 45 lanes were full already with families with the same idea.  REALLY???  at 6pm??  oh well, they had one free for us.  I guess that's all that really matters.

Leon had a blast and when we found that they had the ramps for kids, he even beat Robb's score!  

The machines were set up to automatically put up the gutter guard when it was his turn.  Sweet... Until, for some reason, it started acting up and stayed up for several of the adults turns.  We weren't complaining!  Ricochet can be your friend.  The guards, even tho he didn't use them, gave Ryan more confidence and he got 6 strikes in a row!  He was S'MOKIN!!!!

I shouldn't have challenged him before we started...

 The game was over too soon, but not quick enough for Leon.  Then they headed to arcade.  

 Grabbing the first machine with weapons is always the best choice.  

Since Leon was only hitting the machine next to them instead of the robots, Robb helped him, then just took over.

 

I followed as Leon wandered.  He found a Star Wars Battle Pod that was sweet!  Since this one took $2 worth of tokens and Jen was going to be at our house soon, I let him just play with the screen that was playing while the menfolk finished killing the Terminator.  

Leon was ok with pretending that he was playing.  It was like being IN the film!  cool.

Then we headed home to pizza and then I sewed.  More on that tidbit tomorrow!

Bowling for a clean house

While Robb and Ryan were out of town having a blast with Robb's old high school buds, I worked my tail off on Saturday.  

I guess there's a lot of little bit left...  

So before I had to get Meri to work, I did a garbage run early and picked up a Rug Doctor.  Saturday was MY day to get the house, ok maybe just the living room, in ship shape for the holidays!  Got back in time to get her to work and after ANOTHER run over to her work place to take her lunch that she forgot, Leon and I got down to business.  

He helped me sort toys by scattering them all over the rooms so I could sort them easier.  When  he got down for a nap after lunch, is when I could work more earnestly.  However quietly as my MIL had begun a nap on the couch behind me.  

Short lived.  I started with his multi bucket shelving unit that stores a bajillion little toys.  I put all small balls in one, small "guys" in another, cars in a bigger one, dinosaurs in another.  It was going smoothly until Leon came to the top of the stairs.  He must have heard me and was mad that I was sorting toys without him.  

After many false attempts at getting him to stay in bed, I gave up.  Let him stay up!  If he crashes, he crashes...  My MIL was waiting on a ride and when she left, Leon and I started in on the living room carpet.  

Having 4 dogs, 3+ kids, a husband, mother-in-law and myself around this house, our carpet takes a beating... and a dumping... and a spill.  or three.  I don't know what it was underneath the love seat on the floor, but I think one of the dogs had been sick and we just covered it with the couch...  It very well could have been stew...

When did we last have stew?

No matter!  I put Leon onto the job of pre-treating each big spot with some foam cleaner and a brush.  He went to town!  I did the vacuuming and steam cleaning.  We put all the couches, coffee table and desk up on pieces of styrofoam while the carpet dried.

By the time we were done, the floor looked marvelous!  But it was still wet and we wouldn't know for sure until it dried.  I was disappointed in a couple spots but over all pleased.  Do NOT take red soda into that room...  Just a warning this time...

Leon and I made some supper and then took the cleaner back.  He fell asleep on the way.  So when we got to the store, I wasn't sure how I was going to manage him and the cleaner.  But then a (I'm sure, well meaning) guy walked by and saw my dilemma.  He offered to stay with Leon while he slept and I shopped, so I figured it out quickly...

Um... thanks but no.  *wow - that was kind of creepy*

I put the cleaner in a shopping cart and carried the boy with his face curled up in my neck.

He woke up while we were inside.  We went to pick up Meri from work, bringing her a little food too.  I wanted to surprise Leon and not upset him if the place closed early that night, so after we waited for over 30 minutes for Meri to finally get done, we headed to the bowling alley and I sent Meri in.  They were OPEN!!!  and had a lane available!

Actually all the lanes but one were open, so we had our pick!  The one with the gutter bumpers please!  They work to my advantage...

This was Leon's first time bowling and he LOVED it.  He loved the shoes!  "These shoes are neat!"  He loved messing with the balls!  I was certain he'd get his fingers pinched, but he didn't.  

Twice he thought he could just set the ball down and give it a good slap.  The ball rolled about 4 feet down the lane and then back a little and then stopped...  He eventually started getting the hang of it and would give it a firmer push down the lane.  

But even then, it took five minutes for the ball to reach the pins.

What else is there to do than wait?

and wait...?

and wait...?

Meri's cell phone was out of charge so I took a few photos with mine.  She later took a few with hers when it charged up a bit.  But I don't have those.

I caught Leon waiting at the ball return like he was a champion bowler.  So casual, so cool...

 His dad says he has a lot of sass.  I believe it.

Wow I love that kid!

Sucker Bowl

Another day on our Stay-Cay!  We found where you can go bowling for just the cost of the shoes and play as many games as you want on weekdays around the lunch time...  Cool!  So we rounded up whomever was free.  Was only Robb, me, Tiffany, Meri & Leon.  Robb and Leon don't bowl, so it was just us girls actually playing.

It's rare I break a hundred.  For a few frames I thought I was going to do a Perfect Game!!!  But then got a big head and a spare and that thought passed quickly...

Did I mention we used bumper pads just for the fun of it?...

Oh, I won!  Someone cleared the screen before I could get the one with all the frames filled.  But you can see the previous game totals in the far right column. 

Add caption

 The girls went to play Laser Tag while Robb and I found some food in the cafe court area.  Leon showed off what a big boy he is by sitting in a highchair and holding his own Bah bah! (which he doesn't actually call it because he can't talk...  But I speak baby talk for him...  How's your widdow face?!!!?)

The girls have been back there a couple times now that they're hooked on Laser Tag and Meri happened to have some gift cards for that place.

They lure you in with free bowling but the food & Laser Tag is how they GETCHA!