Ridley Update - In Which Matthew Gets Lost, Hayley Incurs a Mortal Rapier Wound, and Nathan Gets Himself Into More Serious Trouble

6/27/11 - 7/8/11

Sunday - We found and played an online geography quiz game to sharpen our skills after Yakko Wakko and Dot watched the National Geographic Bee the night before wherein Alex Trebek told the finalists "The least you can win today is ten thousand dollars." That's plenty of reasons to learn geography! Nathan and Hayley and I also flipped through literally hundreds of Greg Olson paintings and decided this was our favorite one. We enjoyed the traditional Dinner at the Stahns.

Monday & Tuesday - Nothing Happened. Or at least nothing memorable, apparently. It is the day that time forgot. Mass amnesia.

Wednesday - The Three Fates participated (as audience members) in "Tantalus", an ancient Greek play - this time performed by young American children - at the local library. Nathan recalls, "The only thing I remember is that he turns his son into soup." Emily escapes in the evening to help throw a surprise party for her dear friend, Jennifer Owen. Dave & the Three Stooges stayed home to play computer games and generally goof around.

Thursday - The Three Billy Goats Gruff endured many anxieties and worries for Aunt Maurine and her to-be-born-bambina. Hayley had Activity Days, meeting to trade favorite family recipes with her colleagues.

Friday - Canada Day! To celebrate, we stayed at home and did nothing. TroyAndMaurineHadABabyIt'sAGirl. We are so glad "baby brynn is home". Welcome, Brynn! May your parents teach you proper word spacing and capitalization.

Saturday - The Three Musketeers attended the baptism of a friend, Abby Droegemueller. Hayley thought Abby's dress was pretty, "but probably all the boys remember is that she handed out suckers afterward. That was definitely their favorite part. Mom played hymns for a while as we waited for Abby and her Father to come out."

Sunday - Due to the heat (and because it seemed fun at the time) we set up mattresses in the basement for The Pokey Little Puppies to sleep on. They have been camping out down there ever since. We got to visit with Mariah, Rosie, and Oliana and their families at the weekly Dinner at Uncle Bob's. We brought his sofa out on the front lawn and talked about sundry topics including Dan and Rosie's family's pending move to Montana. We shall miss them. Hewey, Dewey, & Louie had various dramas about the tree house, secret clubs, rejection, retribution, and restitution with their cousins.

Monday - A great overcast day for a parade, nap/movie, barbecue with some members of our ward, fireworks (supposedly "the biggest this side of the Mississippi" - maybe they mean the biggest between ourselves and the Mississippi) with our friends Droegemeuller friends who were so kind to let us visit them, and a traumatic traffic jam. "We moved three car spaces within an hour!" fumes Hayley, who says she had to go to the bathroom at the time. Matthew the Wise prudently fell asleep, avoiding anguish.

Tuesday - Commencement of the Summer Schedule of the Ridley Academy. Nathan says we should change the name to "The Ridley Torture Academy." In the evening, we attended a Chukars baseball game in which the local team pulled off an 8-run rally (we called it "an Ate One Wowie") against the Casper Ghosts in the bottom of the 8th inning to win by 1 run. Following the victory, The Three Amigos got to run the bases - AFTER Matthew got lost in the surge of departing fans. Scary! For him as well!

Wednesday - The Three Little Pigs played soccer at Tautphaus Park with families from our current church ward, from our previous ward, and from iFamily (homeschool program). Later at the library, Hayley volunteered for the part of Polonius, suffered death by Hamlet's sword thrust through the tapestry in the queen's chamber, and was interviewed (posthumously!) by Post Register newspaper regarding her part in the drama.

Thursday - Cosby Show marathon! Really?! Was it only 2 episodes? Okay, well, it SEEMED like a marathon as we waited for Netflix to "retrieve" portions of the show from time to time. Maximizing mid-movie moments, many Mini-Ridleys were sentenced to many minutes hard labor - basement beautification, toy removal division. Nathan got in trouble for hitting his brother, throwing a toy at his sister, knocking all the books out of the book shelf, drawing on the wall with pink chap stick, dropping stuffed animals out of his 2nd story bedroom window, and ripping 4 bedtime pull-ups. But he remains a fairly happy kid nonetheless.

Friday - Dave wrote the belated update. Dave accidentally deleted the belated update. Dave re-wrote the accidentally-deleted belated update. The Three Blind Mice "assisted" Dave in pounding pokey carpet nails to protect their mother's feet (but with little regard for their father's fingers). No thumbs were damaged. Emily attended the temple while Hayley and Dave prepared an excellent rice, broccoli, and apple-sauce lunch. And now we wonder what stuff the rest of the day might bring...