Renovation.

I picked up my new (their old) loveseat from Dave and Susan last night, and also visited with Dalton and Rylin. They (kids and parents) loved showing me all the new stuff in the newly remodeled downstairs of their house: new floors, paint, furniture, kitchen (great multicolored small glass tiles, and under-cabinet lights to highlight them, amazingly huge countertop slabs of granite), reconfigured bonus room. The furniture had just arrived a few days before, and the kids were still having a contest over who had sat in the new furniture first, and who was first tickled on the new carpet.

Rylin read me a (long) story she had dictated to Susan and illustrated about picking pumpkins, complete with colorful winds and a tornado. Afterwards she said, "I don't remember what my room looked like the last time you were here." And so we happily raced upstairs to see her new bed and wallflowers, though I'd seen the bed before. She said she didn't know if the new wallflowers would *ever* get put on the wall, since she'd already had them so long.
Seeing the multiple layers of clothes and toys littering the room, I asked her if a tornado had gone through - maybe a Rylin tornado. She said no, she had a friend over.
So I said, "Ah! Two tornados!" She laughed at that (placate the crazy uncle or he'll never stop.) Then she raced to show me the new bonus room layout, explaining they redid it because it was their kitchen while the new downstairs was being built. "See, here's where the table was where we ate!"
She was really animated and fun, very energetic. She was even doing little hops with each homework question she answered when I first arrived, moving around like a hummingbird, or a quick little bunny. Very cute.
Dalton was smiling the whole time (even a timeout didn't phase him.) He had a new haircut, fairly short, a big change from the long hair from the last time I saw him.

When Dave and I came back in from squeezing the loveseat into the van, BOTH kids were sitting in separate corners in timeout, and stayed there until I left, except for goodbye hugs. Susan said she wasn't interested in who started what, if they couldn't be nice to each other they were both getting timeouts. They both seemed okay with that, there was no yelling that I heard, and they were (mostly) quiet little mice in their corners. Well, Dalton tried to explain a couple of things to me, but Susan stopped him quickly each time. I think if he knows something he just cannot help but share it with the world. "Coal is a fossil, not a rock."

Amy and Stathis: The Reception.

We drove up to Mike and Anna's house Saturday for Amy and Stathis' wedding reception. Lots of folks were there, and their house was beautifully festive. I took a few photos. Below are the happy couple, and the gaggle of grandkids. Click here to see more.

In Redmond

I'm up in Redmond, working. Well, right now I'm at Dave and Susan's house. I just read a book to Rylin about Never Fairies and tucked her in for bed. Now Dave and I are waiting for Dalton to go to bed so we can play Halo 3 again.
Reports from home: Mali went home from school with Sara Monday, and had dinner there. Andrew skipped soccer practice to get his allergy shot, and afterwards got a haircut, so he's all set for homecoming (the haircut, not the shot).
Susy was heading out after work to look for a new dress - we're going to a wedding Saturday for Christina, who used to babysit for the kids about 8 years ago.

I should be able to leave here tomorrow after lunch and make it home in time to see Andrew's soccer game vs. Jesuit.

Minter Bay

We're all up in Washington for the big family reunion in Bremerton. Mali and I came up first - me for work and she to hang out with Dave, Susan, Dalton, and Rylin, then Grandma and Grandpa, who took her for a picnic with John and Lori at Panther lake, and then home to Minter Bay Thursday night. I joined them Friday after work. The weather was beautiful. Mali and I built a fort down on the beach.
Susy and Andrew drove up Saturday morning.

Last week of school

I'm in Redmond, so secondhand news:
Mali had her bowling trip yesterday - a reward for being a school ambassador all year.
Andrew has his math final: multiple choice and it takes two days - he's way over half done. It won't count for him anyway - he already has a 98 or 99% and it will only count for people on the border of some grade.
Susy's working from home today while the guest bathroom gets finished, just in time for the grandparent's visit this weekend.

Last night in Redmond I got to check out Dalton and his friend Andrew on their Green Machines, which I hadn't seen before. David is recovering from gum surgery so watched with Eric while Susan, Allison and I drank wine on the driveway while all the kids tore around the cul-de-sac on various vehicle types. Then Susan whipped up a delicious sausage stir fry for the grownups, and David and I played 3-Dragon Ante.

From Redmond

At Dave and Susan's last night. We went looking for Dalton in Eric and Allison's backyard and discovered Susan having a glass of wine on their patio with Allison. We quickly joined them and ended up letting Eric barbecue for us while we talked of bicycling and the kids ate pizza. Very Nice - I should have taken a photo, their backyard is beautiful! I always forget about the camera phone.

This morning I had a nice phone conversation with Mali. She was already cleaning the kitchen, in honor of June 1st and the changing of the guard. She told me Soccer was fun and they didn't do much running in the heat, and she got Dairy Queen for dinner and Andrew ate pizza at Austin's. She also gave me the plan for tomorrow (it seems weird to me that tomorrow is already Saturday - probably because Monday was a holiday and now I'm up here where work is fun): Susy and she will attend Ryan's graduation brunch for half-an-hour before going to her dance recital rehearsal. Then the big excitement - Hailey's birthday party viewing of Pirates of the Caribbean 3.

Mali's Birthday Party

I am missing Mali's party - I'm in Redmond meeting with a customer (who used to be in New Orleans and now they're moving things anywhere else.) The party report (from last night)is all is going fine. A five girl sleepover after tearing through the pizza and cake.
Last night Dave and I watched the kids, then Casino Royal while Susan had a night out with the ladies.
This morning Rylin was guarding the door, saying "No leave-y."

Vacation

Aaaahhhhh! Today FINALLY felt like a vacation day. This morning I found the loose wire on my sprinkler system that was causing me to spend wayyyy too much time manually watering my lawn. Then I delt with the ever-renewing mole holes in the backyard, mowed the lawn, fixed the backwards sprinkler head in the new garden, rearranged Mali's bedroom furniture, AND THEN took Mali to meet up with Andrew and his new pal Kyle at the pool, where I took a nice little nap in the sun.

Andrew spent last night at Kyle's house, then rode his bike down to A&W for lunch with Kyle's family before spending the hottest part of the day inside on the computer playing Runescape. They then went to the pool, and Mali and I joined them a little later.

A wonderful day. Hopefully tomorrow will be as productive and relaxing. Wednesday I am taking the kids to David and Susan's for a visit while Susy works like crazy so she can take next week off for the camping trip. We'll come home Friday so the kids can sleep before Saturday's swim meet, and I can prepare for another long drive on Sunday.