Boys

So while we girls were having tea, Stephen and Clyde decided to make a trip to Walmart with THIS book in tow....

This is what I came home to find....Clyde with his new handmade dart.  This is a VERY sturdy little dart, people.  A little too sturdy if you ask me.

They then proceeded to build cross-bows, which shoot skewers.

Here are my man-child and his father showing me how to aim said cross bows.  They can shoot a skewer all the way to the road from our porch.  This is NOT comforting.

Here's Clyde aiming and releasing.  (I love his release face!)

 I then made the mistake of asking Stephen how much power these things have.  Could they hurt someone?

Every night, the kids take a "sleep book" or two to bed with them.  They read until we turn their lights out.  This night, Clyde asked if he could take his dart and sharpening stone to bed in lieu of a sleep book.  *sigh*  Part of me cringes and part of me just thinks, "...just like his Daddy :) "

Then this morning he put together a "shooting booth" at which you could choose your weapon....

choose a target (the presidents were NOT targets...just observers) and shoot for only 10¢ a pop.
Stephen decided to reward his entepreneurship. 

I assumed they would hit the target and bounce off the wall....

I was wrong.
Love that boy.  Love him so very much.  So glad his Daddy has boy in there... under his burly self.

Lift Your Pinky! Pip! Pip! Cheerio!

Until my Grandmother went to be with the Lord, my immediate family (on my Mom's side), along with most of her brothers and sisters, and their kids would all get together EVERY Sunday.  So it's been five years since we have gotten to regularly get together with any of them.  There's the occasional get together, but it's just not that often anymore.

Well, Lucy's been wanting my sister, my mom and her sisters and us (herself, myself and Iris) to go to a tea room for QUITE a while.  Well, Ne-na made it finally happen.  I have NOT been on the ball!  We had a really lovely time!

Here we are in the Rose Room...

Lucy, Iris and I somehow all ended up on one side of the table, which of course, I'm absolutely FINE with :)

Iris and my Aunt Rita (nice show of enthusiasm Iris!) actually I think we caught her chewing ;)...

Mom and Sherry...

My Aunt Phyllis and my cousin, Sadie...

One lump...or two?

Lucy's dessert.  I brought her food and they had no objection...so grateful!!  She had a chocolate chip bar with a strawberry garnish :)

They have weddings here, so we took a group picture in the bridal dressing room.

Mom, Rita and Phyllis...

Play Museum Time

Our children require at least one visit, annually, to a local learning/playing museum.  Fortunately for them, Ne-na is usually willing to fulfill that duty ;)

So without further ado....
water...

they do the arch EVERY time!

tinker toys!

Lucy built a lovely windmill next to the wind tunnel and right as I snapped the picture one of the pieces fell off :(

Clyde tries to trick Ne-na into touching a fake piece of.....*whispering*...poop!

Iris, "I drew that!"

Lu and Ne-na building a house...

Iris joins in...

The bee exhibit.

Clyde is "smoking" Lucy-bee so he can steal some honey.  Cracked me up.  Glad theyre not too old to pretend.

Clyde spends much time on puzzles like you see here...that's just how he rolls.

The fun twisty stairs.

I had a vewy scewy Dr apptment with Dr Iris.

...turns out I'm not going to die from my ear infection after all!  Whew!

Then we went on to hang out with Sherryberry at Applebee's and Sweet Cici's...(both of which are allergy friendly!)  Lovely Day!

Fireworks!

After we left my Dad's house, we came home and got ready to go see fireworks.  A local amusement park sets them off every year.  When I was growing up we used to go to the cemetery where we have family buried and watch them from there.  I thought I was going to continue the tradition and take my kids there to watch them.  We got to the cemetery and it was completely blocked off :(  Apparently they stopped letting people watch them from there 7 years ago (makes me feel old) because of people vandalizing the stones and leaving garbage everywhere. 

Oh well....we sat as far in the drive way as we could....literally inches from the caution tape.  I was disappointed, but ended up being pleasantly surprised at how close the fireworks still looked.  We had the pleasure of Curtis, Sherry & David's company which made it even better!!

July 4th

We spent the day at my Dad's for Independence Day!!  We had a great time hanging out with family that we rarely get to see.  I didn't have my camera, but then again, that's what my husband's smart phone is for, right?

Eddie and Red..

Effie, Helen and Odessa...

hanging out, eating dinner....

Odessa, Effie, Janet and Red....

Dyan and Lu playing a pixel game on the Kindle...

Janet and Odessa ...

Sherry and Iris...

Brent and Clyde....

Dad and Sherry....

Eddie and Helen...

Good fun and great company, we were sorry to see them go!