Who do you think you're messing with?

I got a phone call yesterday from a scammer.  They were pretty convincing too, IF I had a grandson of college age...  AND who knew our home phone number...  

"Hi Grandma!  It's me!"

"I'm sorry, who is this?"

"It's ME Grandma! Don't you recognize my voice?"

*appealing to my doubtfulness that I might actually forget what my grandson sounds like*

*apparently I'm on the verge of senility*

me: "Who do you think you're trying to call?"

*click*  he hung up.

This exact same phone call happened to me about a year ago where I ended up hanging up on him.  However later that day a year ago, my MIL got the same call.  

"Hi Grandma!  It's me!"

"I'm sorry, who is this?"

"It's ME Grandma! Don't you recognize my voice?"

her: "Seth?!  Well hello!! How are you doing?!"

"Grandma, I'm in a lot of trouble and I don't want my parents to find out..."

here: "Why Seth?  I'm sure they'll understand, no matter what it is."

"Grandma, I'm in jail.  I need bail money and my parents will not understand."

her: "Of course they will.  I can call them for you."

"Grandma, no, don't do that!  I'm pretty ashamed of myself."

her: "Hang up and I'll call them right now.  It's going to be ok."

*click*

She told us about the call from Seth later on that day.  She was still convinced it was him and that he was in some trouble.

Now, if she'd fallen for it, she'd be out thousands of dollars as did a friend of a friend of mine.  Some people are pretty gullible...

Why are scammers focusing on grandparents?  Because I guess they're gullible and want to not make you feel unhappy that they don't remember you.  

Then there's my mom.  She has dementia anyway and when Robb was hugging her goodbye last weekend, she didn't see his face and she said, "Now who are you?"  sigh...  I'm not sure if she truly didn't know who he was or if she just saw the back of his head and couldn't figure it out.  But I'm willing to give her the benefit of a doubt.  

She's got over 40 grandchildren, *don't make me count it up* and she will NOT remember who they are by their voice.  So if she got a scam call like this, she'd quiz them until they told her their real name.  And chances are she has a grandson with that name anyway. :\  But then again, she's not going to send money to get a grandkid out of trouble without talking to their parents first.  

What kind of grandparents do you think we are??!

While the dandelions bloom...

On Friday night, I sewed while Meri crammed her memory work with Robb.  Got most of the dress done except for a couple things.

On Saturday morning, Leon and I went to go see his other Grandma.  She hadn't seen Leon since his birthday.  We had a really nice time and he loves their back yard! 

  

 That afternoon, I sewed more.  Got almost all done except for the handwork on the hook and eyes.  Helped get supper on the table, then back at it.

Sunday came.  The BIG day!  The day Meri and another confirmant say a ton of Bible verses and sections of the Apostles Creed along with their meanings as well as answer a lot of questions in FRONT of the congregation from memory.  She did a wonderful job of it!  My confirmation, when I was 14, had a lot more awkward pauses and kicks to my sister, who was being confirmed with me.

  

Meri looked beautiful and we had a lot of photos taken afterwards.  The ice cream cake still sits in the freezer at church because it was too soft to transport home.  Who wants a lot of drippy ice cream on their car upholstery??  Well, if I'd had a spoon with me, I'd be just fine.  Oh well.  We'll pick it up tomorrow.

 

Sunday afternoon, my SIL and her family came back to the house with us to load up a tv cabinet that my MIL had found for her.  We sat in the sun and visited a lot.  She's great!  After they left I realized I hadn't gotten the ASG sewing group newsletter done yet and it was due to the committee for proofing, like the day before...  oops!  I locked myself in my office and got a rough draft of it done, then sent it off to them.

 That evening, Maddy wanted us to watch The Music Man with her.  I'd never seen it, even though it's based on an Iowa city not far from here.  Her college is doing that musical this next year and since she's one of only a few Iowa kids in the entire school, she wants to be a part of it!  She should be a shoe-in!  Just say something Iowish.  Pronounce boat correctly or something!

There are so many songs that I already knew in the movie.  

I had no idea that's where they came from!

It's iconic!

Leon watched it with us and thoroughly enjoyed it!  We only got through about half of the movie before exhaustion hit us all.  Leon asked to see the Buick Man several times the next day and got his wish.

Monday, Memorial Day!  The day to remember all who have fought for our freedom to speak freely, worship as we please and blog.  We celebrated by getting the house & food ready for a lunch with friends, then went out to the local cemetary for the service.  Meri's Middle school band played.  

 

I fiddled with the zoom on my new camera and caught, what it looked like, her napping. 

She says no, she wasn't.  The sun was shining right in their faces.

Leon didn't want his toes in the grass...

  

Then my bestie and her hubs came over for a lunch that consisted of mainly leftovers from the confirmation lunch the day before.  It was STILL GOOD!  Robb jazzed a couple things up with bacon.

Bacon improves EVERYTHING, yes?

After they left and the food was put away, I napped with Leon and Maddy.  ahhh...  Then made the changes to the newsletter that the ladies sent me back.

I think we need a sequel to Memorial day.  Just to nap more.

Parading Grand Spawn

Isn't this kid cute??!  Alas he is not mine... but when Leon gets this old I am definitely buying him a kilt!

 

Saw him at the Scottish Festival in Waterloo over our vacation where I purchased one of the first Christmas presents off my list!  SSH!  It's for Leon...  Robb and his band marched in the festival procession and as his only roadie groupie whatever I went along!  It was hot...  But I got to meet the wife of another band member so that was cool!  

Plus I got to do a little Lord Of The Dance dancing!  LOVE my new hair!

The next day Leon and I attended another parade Robb was in in a small central Iowa town.

Leon did a ton of flirting with the little two year old cutie sitting next to us.  Pay no attention to my wrinkles... I've earned every single one of them and why couldn't I find my makeup??!  sigh.  I'm old.

His shirt says BACK OFF!  I'M CRABBY!  It was chewed up 3 days later by one of the Goldens.  Apparently in protest to Leon being a crabby-butt.

 

We sat and enjoyed the entries while we watched some very black clouds blow in quickly...

They blew in so quick and furious that the parade was cancelled!  Someone drove backwards through the parade on 4 wheelers calling it off.  Darn!  I was wondering how to find Robb now... How would he know that I was parked a block down that road??!  So Leon and I stood at the corner and watched for him as wind whipped around us.  

I've been told that's not wise...

Suddenly I heard the pipes calling!  I looked up the street and I saw him playing his bagpipes for some people on the curb!  YAY!  He joined us as we dashed for the car.  As soon as we threw the stroller and bag in the back end, buckled Leon up and got in our seats, the rain started spattering on the windshield.

WOW... Talk about good timing!

Only a mile or so out of town we had to pull over into someone's gravel lane and wait it out.  The down pour was so heavy the windshield wipers weren't keeping up at all!  We're just glad to get some more rain!  It's only early August and the fields are looking like October...

Leon didn't mind the rain at all.  After a changing of the dytie and a bah bah, he played with his chewy rubber ducky until the rain let up.

Then home again home again!  Back to his mama.

I could get used to this grand-parenting thing... 

An Introduction and a winner!

Leon has finally made it out into the world!!!

Woohoo!!!

It took a grueling 14 hours for his mommy, but totally worth it. He is beautiful.

Leon has his daddy's lips, his mommy's nose and his grandpa's Popeye face when he wants to.

He was born at 9:01pm last night, 2/22/12, so it looks like Mammahasspoken is the winner for the hat! She guessed within an hour! Congrats Mamma! How appropriate! I'll email you for your address.

We got up early this morning and just Robb, Meri and I headed to the hospital so we could see the little tyke before we had to get to school and work. I'll be heading down again later with the other grandma to meet up with my mom and dad when they roll into town to see him. Then probably again after work for a while.

Can't get enough of him!!!Whatever will we do to fill our spare time now?

I'm guessing not sewing...