Hanging Ornaments

It's Been So Long You Probably "Don't Know Jack"!

Jack recently (alright, it's been awhile!) turned eight years old! He is growing up fast. Jack is doing well in school - the kid loves to read!

One of Jackson's birthday presents was a Nintendo 3DS. While Jack loves to play with the DS, Mommy and Daddy have been happy to see that he balances his time with lots of reading and Lego building. (Daddy is especially glad as this allows him to play with the 3DS when Jack is occupied with other activities.)

Jack decided to go Trick-or-Treating this year. For weeks he talked non-stop about being a pirate. Grayson went as Jak-Jak from the Incredibles - mainly because Jackson's old costume fit Gray this year.

Last year Daddy neglected to carve a pumpkin. This year he attempted to utilize one of the carving sets you can buy that provide you with stencil patterns and cutting tools. If you are not aware, these carving kits are pieces of junk. This is the salvaged result of an attempt at a spooky ghost jack 'o lantern.

At this point in getting ready Jack could have gone as one of the Duck Dynasty guys.

ARRGGHH!

Despicable Jackson

Jackson and Daddy are huge fans of the movie Despicable Me.

When Daddy was shopping one day he came across miniature minion figurines. Of course, since minions are so totally cool, Daddy had to buy a few. A couple of minions went with Northernbaby to experience life in the great white north while several remained in Virginia. One minion in particular has been quite busy finding new spots to hide and creep out delight whomever finds him. We are always finding this mischievous minion in the strangest places.

Here he is helping Jack with a "science project". Daddy has learned not to ask what Jack's projects are, except to ensure that fire and knives are not involved. (As long as there are no sopping wet floors or mutilated dishes to greet Mommy when she gets home, he can experiment to his heart's content!)

Yes, MM (Mischievous Minion) is frozen in a block of ice.

 Here MM is hanging out in the drying rack.

 On top of the microwave...

 Above the bathroom mirror...

 Hanging from the light in the nursery...

 (Daddy thought it was amusing to invert the photo)

 Here MM stands ready to greet the next person stuck on diaper duty.

 He has even tried to go for a bike ride!

 

And there's nothing quite like opening the cabinet door to find MM sitting in the candy bucket!

BrickFair 2013

Jack and Daddy set out several weekends ago to visit BrickFair 2013. Last year was the first year we attended a BrickFair event and from that experience we learned a few things. Such as, there are more than a few Lego fans in the Washington, D.C. metro area. This year we ordered our tickets online and avoided standing in a super huge long line in the summer sun and heat. The photo below shows the line for those that bought their tickets. We are ahead of the halfway point meaning there were a whole bunch more people behind us! The line was long but moved very quickly.

 A space monkey.

Holding a....um....well, a monkey wrench.

 It's hard to tell from the photo but this scene is built on a downhill slope.

 Very cool and difficult to create.

 Someone figured out how to make an AC Cobra out of Lego.

 Camping, Lego style.

 Twisted senses of humor are encouraged.

 Every bit of the train setup is made of Lego.

 A Minion, the Cat in the Hat, Spyro, and Perry all made an appearance.

 A simple and neat display for mini-figs.

 I don't know what it is but it looks cool!

 Knights of the Round Table preparing to enjoy a chicken dinner.

 The theme of BrickFair 2013 was "Birds". 

Here are a few interpretations.

 Gonzo and Camilla. Daddy's favorite. Jack didn't understand why.

 Just a cool looking truck-like thing.