>"Up," Warhammer 40K, National Treasure 2 and Scrabble!

>It’s been a while since I’ve spent 12 hours with a 13- (almost 14) year old, and I must say I’m exhausted. Happy, but exhausted. Our Godson, Patrick, is visiting from Sumner, Washington. Last summer he brought his service dog, Kudzu, but Kudzu is “retired” now…. enjoying life as an ordinary pet, so he didn’t make the trip with Patrick this summer. (Patrick comes to Memphis to visit relatives every summer, and we always look forward to a special time with him. Check out the photos from last year’s blog post to see Kudzu!)

We started the morning at 9 a.m. with a stop at McDonald’s, then Davis Kidd Bookstore, High Pointe Coffee, and then back to our house to do some online shopping for his birthday gift. That’s where I was introduced to a whole new universe called “Warhammer.” It’s a game that’s played on 4 ft X 6 ft tables, using miniatures of a huge array of war beings. Patrick plays at an “academy” in Sumner every Wednesday night, where he learns how to assemble and paint the miniatures, as well as game strategies. So today he was looking for some pieces to add to his set.

First he chose a Tyranid called Broodlord (the red one, above).

Next it as another one called Carnifex.

And finally a group of Tyranid Genestealers.
Hopefully they’ll be waiting for him when he returns to Washington next Wednesday.

So, how does a kid who likes sci fi war games also love a sweet Pixar movie like “Up”? We both loved it, and I’m not even into animation. Great story line, lots of laughs, lots of fun.

On our way home we stopped at a Red Box and picked up a DVD for the afternoon—National Treasure 2.

When Father B got home from work we headed out to eat, returning home for an evening of Scrabble. It was a close match, but Fr B pulled off a victory in the end, and Patrick beat me in the final couple of plays, earning second place. We take our Scrabble seriously at the Cushman house… so I’m sure there’ll be a rematch in the future. But for now, kudos, Patrick! (My “excuse” for losing to Patrick is the 5 Cokes he had today….Hope he can sleep tonight! Me? I’m going to be dreaming of Broodlords and Genestealers! Or maybe about the much gentler adventurers in “Up.”) Good night,all!