Day 311

Full-blown church morning. Two services, both with full Kids program (except nursery). And practically normal attendance count. Right from church, Jamie headed down to First Company to do some clean up at the theater. It was strike, actually, for a show that got cut short by COVID last March after the 2nd show, God's Favorite (see the Theatre page). We went home that night not knowing if we'd be back; we never returned to that show - till today. That's probably the longest time from the last show to strike in theater history. Then it was football time! Chiefs beat the Browns (despite a Mahomes concussion early in the 2nd half, Henne did well) and the Buccaneers beat the Saints. Tonight's movie, The Out-of-Towners.

Recognize the furniture from the Benjamin house?

Day 310

Saturday! We had a very special visitor today. It's amazing what Tracy's been doing organizing the games, board games, mostly. She's gotten them all in see-through plastic boxes, labeled, and in 25% of the space that they used to occupy. She's creating a game space down in the boys' area. The framed puzzle (see below) will decorate the walls in that area. The photo of puzzle boxes below shows the overflow puzzles to scuttle; we had a "shopper" come by and take a good chunk of them. Two football games today. Tonight's movie, Vanished.

Still a favorite variation of Tic Tac Toe.
Despite the missing piece.

Something was pretty funny.

For the special visitor and family.

Excess puzzles.

A special visitor today.

The games now take less than 25% of the space they used to.

For the new game area downstairs.
This started as a puzzle.

Day 309

Today's entry turns out to be mostly about Nana's COVID-year quilts. The year began with her working on a quilt that was nothing but triangles. As it turned out, that project got pushed aside for two service quilts and two wedding quilts (pics below). Matt grilled chicken legs and added rice pilaf for tonight's dinner. Tonight's movie was Outside the Wire.

"I've had enough small triangles for a lifetime."
She's now back to working on this one.

Sam's Army quilt.
Fina made a matching pillow case to go with it.

Jon/Heather wedding quilt

Eric/Alex wedding quilt.

Morgan's Air Force Academy quilt.
Fina helped, too.

Day 308

Very windy yesterday, overnight, and into this morning. Blew the trash cans over and across the parking space overnight. Matt and Jamie had lunch at the Club today. We talked about T. from work and doing Bible stories with the kids. AJ continued work making tops for the twins' "store" project at school. AJ and Papa fired up the new Life game (Christmas present) this afternoon, too. Very familiar to Papa, but also a fresh look; was fun and played quickly (compared to chess or Wingspan).

Hendrick's Gin, straight up,
no vermouth, muddled cucumber

Day 307

AJ got into making tops from the bead supply to help with a school "store" project the twins are doing. The dogs always seem to get pretty active with each other and with us humans in the evening when we're trying to watch something. The two white ones can be like a swarm of bees. Tonight's movies: Die Hard 2 and Case 39. The latter is a little disturbing.

Day 306

Relatively normal school day today. David went to horse therapy and actually rode a horse! And sang all the way home. Tennis day for Lexi, too. 

Sunrise and Matteo's van pickup coincide these days.

Still snow on the ground despite 40s and 50s days lately.

Matteo's Lego piano is coming along...

Homework...

Day 305

First full in-school day for everyone (except online Fina, by choice). Lunch at Fuji Mt, love those drunken noodles. All the kids went to the dentist in one fell swoop this afternoon. The littles got cute 2-minute sand timers with Mr. Tooth on both ends. David took on Papa in a game of chess before dinner; he's doing amazingly well (Papa found the game non-trivial), but he lost today's game - keep trying! AJ went over to play in the snow with Livia and a third friend who had built an igloo - small - but still an igloo. Leftover Parry's Pizza for the Reguscis while Lynn made a little salad for Jamie and herself. Fosters started watching a series called Lupin; the jury's still out.

Christmas is fading...

Choices for conservatives are dwindling.
These guys are now off the list (and there are more not shown).