Weekend fun

Finally, some time to relax! (Well, for the most part - we had a leak in a pipe for which we had to place an emergency call to a plumber because it was flooding our NEW, FINISHED basement, but I'm only focusing on the positive in this post.)

My mom arrived on Friday evening. We had a lovely candlelit dinner, and then watched Rosemary and Thyme while the kids watched a Mickey Mouse movie downstairs. We went to bed relatively early so we could get up and go to the auction first thing. What fun! We were there from 8:45 AM until 5 PM with a short break to meet the kids at karate to take a class and eat some pizza. Then, the kids came back to the auction with us. While we were in the gym buying things we didn't need, the kids had a ball playing on the playground in the sun. Since they were so good, I had to buy something for them.

Here they are with their new (old) Lincoln Logs, which they have combined with their 2009 version so they can build even bigger buildings. They played with them for hours when we got home yesterday, and are up there playing with them now as I type. Some toys are classics that hold generations spellbound.

I also bought some furniture for my quilting studio. I wanted somewhere for visitors (kids) to sit if they wanted to be with me while I'm down there creating, plus a place for me to sit and read, or hand quilt, or dream up new quilts or even nap when my creative activity wears me out. This little set fit the bill nicely, cheap and cheerful.

I have been wanting a wrought iron cafe set for my porch, but they are so danged expensive. This little set was a steal!

I have a twin bed that needs a frame. I thought this little wooden frame was too good to pass up. It turns out, it wasn't - the side rails that came with it must have come from a different bed because they don't fit. I've put it aside for now, but I'm determined to find a way to make them work.

Last year I bought a ceramic salt box to collect my counter-top compost. When I saw this enamel one this year, I had to have it, even though I have no purpose in mind. What do you suppose I could do with it? Any ideas?

Finally, my mother's birthday was this week, so my hope was to buy something for her at auction. She has everything she needs, so it had to be something whimsical or decorative. Unfortunately, her tastes are expensive, and everything she wanted, all the antique dealers with deep pockets also wanted. They won out on most stuff, but I did hang in there long enough to score this cute little frog and wheelbarrow for one of her flowerbeds. (Ignore the auction stickers on his nose and in his wheelbarrow)

I felt a little bad about it, because the person I was bidding against was my neighbor/babysitter's grandmother, but I was running out of options for what my mother actually wanted.

Anyway, it was a fun day, but also tiring, so after dinner and bathtime, I sat with the kids to watch Eddie Murphy's latest family movie, Imagine That, with them. It was cute, but I recognized myself in there a few times when he would only half-listen to his kid or tell her to go play when he was busy working. Gotta be vigilant about not taking my time with them for granted!

Today, I napped, I cleaned, and Jason and I prepared for his lesson that he is teaching tomorrow for his cub scout den - how to tie your own tie. I have a whole bag of discarded ties that were given to me for quilting that I haven't dismantled yet, so first he taught me how to tie a tie (actually not that hard once you know how to do it!), and then we made an illustrated handout for him to give to his cub scout colleagues after tomorrow's lesson. I'm so proud of him! Of course, Donald was not interested in learning how to tie a tie, but rather spent the time intimidating us with his best Hulk impression.

Never a dull moment in the Hutchinson household!