Random Hap'nin's from the Hill, June edition...

Greetings!

Things have been busy around the Schmitz Mobile Chaos Unit lately. Momma's school. Getting Grandma Elaine situated in her new digs. Signing Caleb up for Jumpstart (summer school). Robby being Robby and wanting to jam 3 days worth of activities into 12 hours of awake time. Dad going to work and practicing guitar for two (mostly) different shows this summer.

Your usual fare.

Funny story before we get to pictures. Robby has taken an interest in sword fighting. I built him a cardboard sword a couple of years back that has silver duct tape for the blade and until recently, had red construction paper wrapped with black electrical tape for the handle. The handle, due to increased usage in the past two months, became frayed and it turns out that no self-respecting pirate would be caught dead pillaging anothers ship with a sword that is less than regal in a 7 year olds eyes.

I used purple duct tape to "upgrade" the handle for the boy and we let the sword fighting commence. Around this time, he also discovered that on the Wii Resort game, there are two sword fighting games. One is simply a one player affair while the other pits one contestant against either the computer or another worthy opponent via an additional Wii controller.

Dad would battle him for about as much as I could handle but I was really trying to encourage him to match wits against the computer.  He did...  for a while.

Skip ahead a day or three...

Robby and Caleb decide to take the crossbow outside and shoot the little foam darts with suction cups at the storm door window. No problem, I say. Leave the inside door open and I can monitor them while sitting across the basement practicing guitar.

Shooting them at the door was good for a while. Robby was doing the shooting while Caleb was the cheerleader, egging him on to go "higher and further".

Eventually, they worked their way up to trying to hit the bathroom exhaust fan on the soffit of the house. This is from the patio on the walk-out side of our basement so the vent they're trying to hit is proably about 28 feet in the air.

They keep on trying for probably 10 to 15 minutes with Caleb excitedly cheering on his big brother to keep at it until they achieve their goal.

Then, it happens.  The dart goes up past the gutter and onto the roof.  According to our neighbor, Mike, who was watching them, Robby was unprepared for this recent development.  He stood there, looking up towards the roof for a bit until Mike asked him what happened.  He also explained that the dart maybe went all the way over the house and would be laying in the yard on the other side.

I'm inside playing guitar and seeing a bit of what's going on out there when the boys come in.  Robby says, "Dad, we have situation developing out there.  Apparently, I shot a bullet up over the edge of the edge of the roof and it's caught in the gutter. Mike said I'll have to wait for a heavy rain to get that bullet back but I was wondering if you could get it with a ladder?".

I told him that heavy rain was his best bet as well.

He was unsatisfied with that answer and decided that he would try to entice me to a game or six of sword fighting on the Wii.

I was not to be swayed as I'm a little nervous about the show coming up in late June (tomorrow as I type this!) and was not going to stop practicing.

Finally, he decides that it would probably be okay for Caleb to play with him.  I'm guessing he reached the decision based on the fact that he could likely whoop the boy from China quite easily and get a mild ego boost in the process.

 So they battle a few games and Caleb is getting whooped.  Robby decides to let Caleb whack him with the sword a couple of times and knock him off of the platform. 

Caleb was ecstatic!  Jumping up and down while hollering with screeches of delight that he sent Robby off the edge.

So Robby queues up the next game and Caleb knocks him off again. Only thing is, Rob wasn't letting him do it this time.  Caleb is just as excited as the first time and Robby is very very happy for him as well saying, "Dad, I didn't let him win that time and he got me!  He got me good!".

Game 3 - Caleb beats him again. Robby isn't quite as happy but is indeed impressed and probably a little tiny bit incredulous that this Wii rookie from China has just knocked him off the platform legitimently for the second time in a row.

Game 4 - Caleb wins again. Robby is no longer happy for Caleb but is nearly speechless (it's Robby, he's NEVER "speechless"!!) that he got beat again.

Game 5 - Caleb wins yet again.  Robby strips him of his Wii remote and orders him to sit silently on the couch and watch!

I was about dying trying not to die laughing!

On to some recent photos...

The boys casting lots at the zoo to determine who would go over the rope bridge first to determine if it was safe.

Caleb went first and as I understand it, it was his first time across the bridge without assistance!

Superhero Rob comes across next in his typical dramatic fashion.

The boys return to the site where they were hatched...

Riding on the giant callapidder, as Robby used to call them. :-)

Caleb wanted to take a photo of dear ol' dad getting ready to go play some Rock n' Roll for the Lord!  Every photo is just another gentle reminder of the fact that I need to lose a few pounds...

That's about it for now.  I'm being beckoned to the Wii for a round of tanks.

Until next time!