All I Need are Star Trek, Puzzles & Cookies

Lately my days have been starting out perfectly.

Kyle has shown such an interest in DS9 that we are watching selected episodes from the war arc together.  Before anyone else was up, we had watched two.

I was delighted when Kyle replicated the Enterprise.

When I finally got around to making the little kiddies breakfast, I found this delightful surprise on the table.  Adele took credit.  I thought this was terribly clever.

These two are excellent company in the mornings.

In-between trips to the table, I caught this sweet moment.

Steve is the best egg-maker ever.  Better than my mother.  When it comes to food, there is no higher compliment.

Lewis is a fan of Paw Patrol, and that's fine, but I don't sit down and watch the shows with him.  Sometimes other people do, though.

The pony beads came out.  Kyle worked up a template for us a few days ago.

This morning we made dragonflies.  Once the kids get the hang of it, this is very engaging.

My camera didn't accompany me on errands today, but it did go with me to the pool.  Unfortunately, I sat down and immediately fell sound asleep.  As in:  immediately and sound.

I woke up an hour later, just in time to catch the end of a game about Mr. Clock and midnight.

Lewis wanted me to take his picture while he was hiding.

Most people had Cafe Rio for dinner.  I actually haven't had my dinner yet.

I did work with Kyle on a puzzle while everyone else ate.

This was hard enough that we didn't talk much except about the puzzle itself.  We might do a larger puzzle tomorrow.

I made cookies during the dinner hour.  This wasn't my dinner and won't be my dinner, but I do happen to know that these are excellent cookies.

I Know Why I Like Puzzles

Kyle and I were both up before 6 this morning.

Truth be told, I was thinking a puzzle would be fun, but I knew Kyle was very interested in DS9, so I suggested an episode.  To my delight, he responded that we hadn't put together a puzzle recently.

This 200-piece puzzle took us 35 minutes.  We talked the entire time about school, college, math, tests and which math class I was in when I realized I needed glasses.  I loved every second.

Then we watched Star Trek.

I was waiting for Camille to wake up, unaware that she was reading downstairs.  She popped up the stairs just as I dropped the first bagels in the water.  I turned the ladle over to her.  This time we made one Everything, five Sesame, and six Nothing.  This might work better.

While the bagels baked, Camille went fishing with Kyle.

Steve always cooks the eggs.  I'm liking his over easy very much.  I know this because I'm thinking about switching to these after he goes home.

Lewis can stir his own chocolate milk.

Adele helped Papa make hummingbird juice.  We have a new method which the birds seem to like.

At the very end of lunch, while Kyle was finishing his grapes, he and Papa began talking about math problems.  Specific problems, actually.  They were both very engaged.  While this story was not a topic, I want to mention that when Ben was just 3 years old, his father used to take him to the barber shop where the men in town would quiz him with three-digit multiplication problems.  Kyle is a lot like that.

My contribution to this conversation was to get out my grandfather's slide rule.  I predate calculators and used this particular one in high school.  Kyle was intrigued.

I know Ben well enough that I should not have been surprised, but in fact I was totally blown away when Ben taught Kyle how the slide rule worked as though he had last looked at one the day before, instead of half a century ago.

Then, while one little person napped, and other people were out on their own adventures, Kyle and I enjoyed more Star Trek.

Kyle doesn't know this, but pretty soon he's going to see an episode with Shran.  And Tsunkatse.

Kyle is enjoying all the battle scenes.

Camille and Adele returned from their outing.  They had made soap.  I have since learned they bought a cake.  At this moment, I am home alone and it's in the fridge, whispering to me.

It was pretty late in the day before we made it to the pool.

Lots of kids were there.  Lewis had a grand time.

The only problem with going late in the afternoon is I see so many of my friends and don't get out my camera.  Fortunately, Adele, whom I knew I had missed, quickly posed while she dripped dry.

Steve grilled us a delicious dinner.  I did teach him one trick -- put the grilled onion on the burger under the cheese.  I learned that at Granny's last year.

All of a sudden everyone was out the door to attend the Spanish Fork rodeo!

Everyone but me, that is. I am told that Lewis is having a great time!

I'm thinking maybe I should have sent Kyle with my cowboy hat.

Burnt Almond Fudge

Camille claimed her favorite spot before 6 am.  It was 61 degrees, so I grabbed a quilt.

After last night, I felt it was necessary that Kyle and I watch the episode about a saddle.

This show is a good mix of funny and intense.

We made it to the pool.

Adele practiced swimming.

Kyle jumped in once, just for my camera.

Most of the laughing I heard was related to Lewis.

Tender-hearted Camille used the frisbee to save a drowning bee, and it worked!  He flew away once he dried off in the sun.  Don't worry about me -- I used my zoom.

We had lunch at The Crepery.

This is always delicious.

We did have to wait longer than expected for our food.

We told jokes.  Of course you know how to tell if an elephant is behind you, right?  (You can smell the peanuts on his breath.)

Kyle was curious about DS9.  I was happy to satisfy.  Adele joined us, with headphones.

I was multitasking this afternoon.  Camille helped me feed the birds, fill my cistern, sweep the deck.  She even refilled the thistle container for me.

We all like to watch the birds.

Then, she proofread last night's blog.  Actually, everyone contributes to that effort, especially since I seem to be unable to keep Lewis and Kyle straight in my brain.

When the nappers awoke, we visited Shasta.  Most in the group knew I had seen Shasta when she was alive.  Fortunately, these three had not heard this before.

First up, Papa and I took the kids to the new interactive kiosk near the butterflies.  Adele knew enough that she couldn't be tricked into thinking a worm was an insect.

Camille and I played a matching game.

Papa and Camille played Jeopardy.

Lewis knew something was in the cave, but there was no way he was going inside.  This is as close as he got.

However, he was close enough to see the bear when the flash on my camera lit him up.

I saw something new near the elevator.

I googled this when I got home and learned that Robert and Reinhold Brendel, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were the artists behind these detailed models.  Their works were in great demand at universities all over the world.

After a pleasant time in the Bean, Papa and I led the way to the satellite creamery north of Heritage Halls.  I rarely indulge in BYU ice cream, but this is my favorite:  Roasted Almond Fudge.  I shared.

Actually, a lot of sharing happened this afternoon.

We discussed the difference between sherbet and ice cream.

This might have been called a collaborative event.

And why not go to the pool again?  Steve pulled out his camera, so I pulled out mine.

My camera and I like splashes.

Lewis finished first and joined me.  You're thinking that he is a pretty cute kid.  Yes, for sure.

Papa was in charge of dinner tonight.

Kids were going down for the night when Kyle asked if I knew of a DS9 episode with some good battle scenes.  Of course I knew of one.  Or two.

I had hoped tonight might be a stargazing night, but it just didn't work out to use the telescope.  This was the very last picture my camera took today:  Jupiter and a few moons.