August came down just after 8. Derek had made Dutch babies for breakfast, but August was having so much fun playing with Thatcher and Kayla that it was quite awhile before he ate anything. Carly was holding August, so Andrea picked up Thatcher, who was wearing the same pajamas. They played with Mousetrap a lot.
I took a shower. When I came out they had made a fort and Andrea was the monster. August didn’t like it when Thatcher was a monster. Andrea and Thatcher went to read. Carly made a new fort. August and Kayla wanted me to be the monster but I got them to play by themselves for a while. Downstairs, he finally had breakfast. I joked that it wasn’t a real Dutch baby. August said “that would be violent.”
I went to the store to get beverages for the party later. When I told August I was leaving he came over and gave me a hug. At the store I filled up a little cart with beers and sodas and others, and a few things for the house. I also remembered the garlic sauce back in Chelan, and was able to call my parents before they left Chelan and ask them to bring it.
When I got back they were playing shark. I took over as the shark. The kids were tigers and I was trying to get them on the shore of their island. Kayla was the mama tiger and the other were cubs.
They then went Downstairs and outside. Got Him dressed first. Not sure what they were doing out there, although at one point August came and got a bug container and they had a worm.
Andrea made grilled cheese for lunch and they had apple slices and carrots. She ran off for an appointment. While they ate, Cassie, Vivian, and Colin called through FaceTime. They talked and yelled. They showed them Mousetrap. Then they all ended up upstairs, Carly with my iPad and still FaceTimeing. I took over holding for awhile, then when Derek called for a clean up we hung up and all cleaned up August handled clean up even better today.
There was a lot more playing with Mousetrap, and we listened to the new Underworld.
Then we got going to the party at Devona’s house. We got there about 3:40. Wendy and Sean and Sue were already there, as were Devona’s kids and Bonnie’s dad and son, Chris. Sue had gone over to visit Les and his family last week and she told me about them and how she broke her wrist using a pogo stick there.
When I introduced August to people he asked “Uncle Paul?” He was then checking his watch as they were supposed to be there at 4. They were a little late but he was happy when they were there. Krystal showed up with her kids: Adam who is 11 or 12 and Patience, who is 4. August had been watching Craig of the Creek, but put it away after she got there. Patience sort of followed August around for a bit, then they started playing.
When food was ready we mainly ate with them at the dining room table. Adam told me all about a show called Mystery at the Museum and his favorite episodes (particularly the Dover Demon). Patience had a favorite joke of the day: “What do you call a jellycopter? A jellycopter!”
Carly kept busy with the kids while I got to visit with people. They played cat monsters and played with the circuit set. Patience wanted to get married, so Carly officiated and August went along with it. Almost didn’t happen when Patience said he couldn’t chew on his watch, but he said it was something he does. She gave in. And near the end they were taking turns spinning each other in the easy chair. I took the kids out to see the pond at one point. There are a couple of baby ducks. Later, I walked up to see the top of the hill with my parents and Paul. And I took the kids out on the big yard below the house. August wasn’t wearing his shoes, so he had me run around following Patience. August also really liked watching Chuck throw the beanbags in the horseshoes-like game. At one point one of the kids said “This house smells like watermelon. And plastic.”
The big news was tht Devona and Bonnie are married—and have been for a couple years. Bonnie also directed me down to the boxes and boxes of family stuff. I wish I could go ahead and start scanning it all, but I had left the scanners in Chelan. Next year. Sue and I discussed genealogy. She said there is a village of Burslem in England near Stoke-on-Trent that she thinks Gramp’s grandparents’ family was from. Also, she and Devona think that Sarah Weller may be related to the actor/professor Peter Weller.
We got going around 8:30 and August fell asleep at 8:45. When we got to Derek and Andrea’s house Carly was able to carry him up and he stayed asleep. I got really allergic. I had felt it coming on during the party, but it really hit back at the house. I took a shower and lay on the couch to recover.
Twinsies:
Being tigers:
Spider for Vivian and Colin:
Niman reunion 1:
Niman reunion 2 – circuits:
Niman reunion 3 – wedding:
Niman reunion 4 – kitties:
Niman reunion 5 – spinning:
