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Parker's Head Explodes

For months, we have been telling Parker we would go to the Lego Factory Store near Washington, D.C. With traffic, it's a LOOOOONG drive, but finally got around to it last weekend.

"Like a kid in a candy store" has nothing on a kid in a Lego Store.

He ran all over the store at full blast, screaming, "OH SWEEEEEEET!!!!!!"

At the minifigure building station. You get to pick the legs, torso, head, hair, accessories, etc.

Looking glum, because this set costs $250.

Stores like this are extremely dangerous. They even paint the floor yellow in warning.

The best part was the wall o' Legos, where you can pick whatever Legos you want.

This took quite some deliberating. There's only so much space in that bucket.

The loot- a Lego set, a bucket o' Legos, and 3 minifigures.

The Stuff Dreams are Made of

Saturday was the 50th Annual National Barbie Convention.
It took place in the Marriott in D.C.
Tickets to this 4-day doll extravaganza were gone within minutes
of the announcement. I didn't stand a chance!
But I did get to attend the public sale held in the hotel....

There were literally thousands of other Barbie freaks there.

The public sale included lots of one of a kind dolls
made by some really talented designers.

Also for sale were doll clothes that cost just as much as their people-sized counterparts.

The ballroom held more dolls than I have ever seen in my life.

I only had ONE HOUR to look at everything!
Probably good, since two outfits and
one doll later, I was down $100.

Zoo-tastic

Last Saturday we battled 524,238,009,188,533 other drivers to visit the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

No animals were harmed in the taking of this photograph.

This is a red panda, and completely adorable.
The line to the viewing areafor the giant pandas was like 2 miles long.

Parker and some random kid who wanted his picture taken.

Parker insists that this is the "real" Toucan Sam.

"Do these feathers make my butt look big?"

"HEY MOM! MOM! LOOK AT THIS! MOM, DID YOU SEE IT? MOM, MOM!"
If you are a kid, nothing is worth seeing unless you also get your mom to look at it, too.

Yes, Parker would have made an excellent meal for a young cheetah.

Parker's favorite.

That rock looks very menacing.

Guitar Hero

For Fathers' Day, we got Jeremy Guitar Hero for his PS2.
He played for 8 hours in a row.
Oh wait, he did take food and bathroom breaks.

A package came today!

Probably the best thing about being a grandkid is when your Grandma sends you a package.Grandma Williams loves to send Parker all kinds of things.
This time, it was a big box of Lego candy that she found
at a candy store.

Last summer when Parker was visiting, she described Lego candy to Parker and he was intrigued by the concept. Her note said that she had been looking for some ever since his visit, and had finally gotten her hands on some.

Thanks, Grandma! It is delicious! And you can actually stack them, too.

Angela's Graduation

Angela graduated today- the last of the Hancock clan to finish high school. She spent her senior year taking classes at Peidmont Community College, though.

We all crowded into the middle school gymnasium to cheer her on amongst the rednecks of Madison County.

Presenting the class of 2009!

Congratulations, Angela! We love you!