Chapter 390

Happy No Socks Day, May 8th. No need to wear socks today and, as a special bonus, if you are a Washingtonian, you don't need to wear socks with your sandals either to celebrate this one special day.

Spring is finally looking like it might make an appearance! I planted some flowers in our "compound", as Kyanne calls it, to try to shoosh some of the dreary "winterness" away. Since Carissa's wedding, I always have some Gerbera daisies. They seem to be hardy enough to withstand my less-than-adequate gardening style.

I first planted this cranberry flat I got in Long Beach to hang on our compound wall. The plants have way overgrown being wall plants but make an attractive arrangement.

Saturday we had our club's annual Spring Thing Drive. It started at Jaguar of Tacoma and and ended up at Griot's Garage. Bob and his little jaguar buddy are ready to start the drive

After literally months of rain, it was great to have a dry day for our gimmick drive. Some coffee and a driver's meeting got our engines running. We hopped in our cars to follow our blind instructions and answer some questions about the sights and signs we saw along the way. The winner is calculated by the most correct answers and closest route time.

We stopped at Long Lake Park to answer some trivia questions. Check out the new F-Pace mixed into the classic Jaguars.

Yay! Even after doubling back once to get back on track, we came in first. Check out the perpetual trophy we won! Crap! That sucker's huge! 

I tried to take a selfie with our trophy and car but I couldn't get us all in the picture.

When we got home, Carissa and Reagan were there to keep us company. Since it was still that great day we spent some time sitting in the yard for the first time of the year. I got Reagan a little watering can so she could help me in the greenhouse.

We had some summer chalk fun. Obviously that's not my outline or it would be a circle! Reagan drew helmets on everyone's chalk outline, including Bear's.

More watering with her little watering can. A little girl and with a tiny watering can is always cute.

  All that running around outside built up an appetite for Reagan. She ate two ears of corn for dinner and that's in addition to the raw one she ate while we were husking the corn on the patio.

Reagan gave me a poem for Mother's Day. Carissa wrote the sentences and Reagan answered the questions with her own sense of whimsey.

Carissa and Kyanne gave me a Tile Tracker for Mother's Day for my keys...or whatever else I need to keep track of. It's an electronic thingie that can track whatever it is attached to. Apparently they think I can't keep track of my stuff...

I excitedly connected to my app only to find that my keys were in Antarctica! I was actually thinking about getting one for Nitro's collar but he'd freeze to death while wandering the 5th largest continent waiting for me to find him! We'll see if I can find my keys first.

Reagan's world has expanded from the small areas we let her play in to the entire house being her playroom. She has stuff everywhere. E.V.E.RY.W.H.E.R.E.! After she leaves, we find stuff for weeks squirreled away in the strangest places.

Reagan helped us plant the garden. She's so excited to have a garden again. She loved eating off the land last year and she picked many of her summer meals from the garden herself.

Reagan likes to play in our cars and discovered the XJS uncovered in the garage. She climbed all over it and "drove" while I was assigned to sing the driving music. I sang "99 Squirrels on the Fence", getting down to 80 squirrels before she had me go to the other car so we could both drive. 

What girl doesn't want to drive a convertible in her underwear and airplane jammie top?

 Reagan was fascinated that there was no top on the car.

All this activity wore Grampa out. I don't think he noticed that he is is no longer playing in the tent with Reagan but napping in a princess tent alone.

After the kids left today Bob rolled out the Griot Mobile with all it's bottles and potions on it. Crash carts at a hospital for saving lives have less stuff on them than this.

But I can't complain as we have the shiniest cars in town!

Reagan will be 3 next month! My how time flies when you are not in the trenches for the day-to-day combat yourself. Here Mozzie has put himself in the direct line of toddler fire all on his own. He should get a Purple Heart for his service.

Give a toddler a knife and she can fix her own breakfast. Reagan loves to help in the kitchen. As much as she loves watermelon, I'm surprise she's not eating each piece as she cuts it.

 Reagan has grown up with these sharks and visits them so often she can recognize them. I'm glad she gets to go to the zoo and visit with them. I'm sure they recognize her as well...

She also is a regular at the little marine center in Poulsbo that is run by Western Washington University. They went last week to visit a rescued octopus. I'm sure she knows all of these guys on a first name basis as well.

Reagan loves petting those creepy, sticky things. She can have them!

Have a good week, everyone!