Mary,

Oh, really? You knew Ueshiba Sensei well enough to know what he'd love and chuckle with glee over and about? Especially pertaining to weapons practice?!? And at your dojo???

It seems that in actuality Ueshiba Sensei actually was known to be pretty critical of his senior-most students for not "getting it", for not practicing the way that he'd been trying to teach them. By their own accounts he could be pretty ornery about it sometimes.

Unless your practice far surpasses theirs I'd suggest putting the Quija board away - aikido is not about channelling (IMO).