Halloween Preparations at Ben's

I went to Ben's house Saturday and we went from there to a farm near Olympia where we got pumpkins. They had a petting zoo and a hayride and ton of pumpkins. The kids went and got started on that while I called AAA, since Ben had locked himself out of his car (I'm still not sure how that happened). I don't use AAA that often, but it sure is great to have. They came out and unlocked the car for no charge (it's good on any car I'm in!) and took care of the problem clean as a whistle. Then I was off to find pumpkins with the gang. Everyone found their perfect gourd and then we went back home to carve them. Sarah had stayed home and baked pita bread--made some great mini-pizzas with fresh tomato, red onion, feta cheese and herbs (WOW).

The Jack O'Lanterns were all really great. Each kid made one that reflected their personality and style. The bottom one is mine!

Ben-Labor Day

Visited Ben and his family for Labor Day. Had a great time. We went to Red Robin for burgers and stuff. Then we came home to play a role-playing game based on Star Wars characters. I was a noble-civil servant (type casting, I guess) and with Sam (who was a spy) and Ammon (who was a warrior) we rescued the lost young girl from the evil clutches of a mad scientist and his level-10 Gangster Overlord Hutt. I had no idea what I was doing, but had fun doing it! Then we all had ice cream and grandpa headed home.

Ammon at Nine

Ammon turned nine this week, and on Sunday a bunch of us got together to mark the occasion. Murray was in fine form, chasing anything that moved, and Joshua had a great time throwing things for him. Josh was always surprised and happy when Murray licked his face. Lura was looking great in her beautiful red dress. We all had tacos for dinner and Ben and Sarah brought homemade blueberry icecream for desert. They also made their own cones and "dishes" with a wonderful, old-fashioned piece of kitchen equipment Sarah (Shultis) had found at Goodwill for $4 or something. The homemade cones were a great accompaniment to the sweet, tasty ice cream, which tasted like a bite of frozen blueberries in every mouthful.

Sam is off to scout camp in July-he'll be 12 on the 24th!

Ben is going to Minnesota to work on his doctorate there in the middle of July.

Ben's Family Garden

Ben and his family have planted a nice garden in raised beds. When I visited today, Sam and Joshua harvested the first radishes and they planted some lettuce, spinach, beans, peas, sunflowers, pumpkins, and arugula. Yeah, they're elitist arugula planters too, just like the Obamas. Ben built a small green house with plastic sheets and tubing. Because they're close to an old smelter in Tacoma, they have to plant in raised beds (high levels of arsenic in the native soil). In the greenhouse, they have tomatos and peppers as well as first crop radishes. You can see this great head of red lettuce, really big and beautiful. They're excited to harvest later in the summer.

Sam's Birthday

Sam will be 11 on the 24th, so we took the opportunity to do a ball game on the 23rd. It was a great day for a game, and for a birthday present the Red Sox not only gave us extra innings, but also a win on the road. Sam and Ammon survived hot dogs, garlic fries, soda, kettle corn and a huge dish of shaved ice. Being grandpa, I told the boys that when we left the ballpark we would have to pay for the extra innings, since those weren't part of our ticket, and I asked them for some money to help me pay. Sam didn't bite, but Ammon was a bit worried. Oh, Grandpaaaaaa!

My family: Ben

I'm also lucky to have a great family. Five kids, all of whom make me proud. This is Ben, who bears some resemblance to me physically, as you can see. He is the oldest, and the parent of four super kids, Sam, Ammon, Lura and Joshua. More about them later. He is a high school Japanese teacher. Married to the wonderful Sarah, who constantly surprises me with her wit and charm. The group picture also includes my older daughter, Sarah and her husband, Gary.