Darn Yarn

OVER UNDER: We started our morning off with doing some homework related to the textiles unit for the kids' science class. Above are weavings they did in class last week. Our homework was doing a similar weave, but in-the-round. If they did it right, they'd each have a little woven basket when they were done. Turns out that was a big IF.

Actually, CJ did a fantastic job on the over-under-around process. Annabelle, on the other hand, was a bit of a disaster, repeatedly forgetting to turn the weaving board over and do the other side. Instead, she'd double back. That, and sometimes instead of alternating the over/under pattern, she'd duplicate it. I'd say the expression on her face here about sums it up her experience.

I spent much of the day working on Annabelle's Nyan Cat costume.  So far, so good - but it's taking longer than I'd like, of course.

When it came time to stuff the tail, I realized I hadn't bought any fiberfill, nor did I have any in stock. Being the cheap/lazy/resourceful person I am, I started looking around the house for things I could cut up and gut. (Many a stuffed animal was shivering in its tracks, let me tell you!)  Fortunately for the stuffies, I found a small travel pillow that was expendable. We used its innards to fill out the kitty's tail. 

HAPPY BOY: This may look like an ordinary Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) cartridge, believe you me, it is not. It is (drum roll/choir of angels singing here) EARTH BOUND ZERO (named "Mother" in Japan), a game that was never released in the United States.  

Frankly, I'm not certain how CJ ever found out about it, but for months (and I mean like six months), he has been obsessed (and I mean like OBSESSED) with getting a copy. Problem is, they go for well over $100 on eBay and they're all from Japan. More than we were willing to spend/risk.

Resourceful CJ managed to find a stateside supplier who, um, supplies the game by somehow taking a different old/other game cartridge and converting it into Earthbound. I have no idea how he does it and I'd be willing to bet that it's not entirely (or at all) legal. But the price ($30) was right. And so, in August, we ordered a game. And we waited. And waited, and waited. No game. About 3 weeks ago I wrote the guy asking what gives. He apologized and said it would go out that week. It didn't. And so last Thursday I sent a less polite inquiry, reminding the man that taking someone's money and not giving them the product you promised them in return is, in fact, stealing. Remarkably, that same afternoon, it was mailed.

CJ played it for the first time last night. It's an RPG (role playing game), and honestly, after watching a few minutes of it, I don't quite understand why it was a MUST HAVE. But what do I know?

TANKED: While I was sewing this afternoon, CJ came running upstairs to show me a candy corn he was about to eat. Due to some manufacturing flaw, it was all orange, missing its white tip and yellow base. "It looks like an external tank!" he excitedly told me. (That's the big orange fuel tank the space shuttles used.)

photo credit: NASA, of course. It's STS-116, in case you were wondering.

I'd show you a photo of it, but it was devoured immediately after his declaration.

ACTING UP: CJ had acting class today. While he did his thespian thing for 1.5 hours, Bee and I hung out in the hallways and stairways of University . It's a cool old building. I love the look, smell and sounds of it. It reminds me of my grandparents' former home on Queen Anne hill.

Our waiting/down time gave me a chance to get to know my new phone better. Today I messed with some of the camera settings on it.