Automatic Carwash

Recently I realized that my kids haven't had the opportunity to experience a drive through car wash... we usually just wash our cars at home. So one day while driving around with Lilli screaming hysterically I thought it might be a good idea to hit the car wash so that Lilli and I could both cool off a bit. As I was pulling into the parking lot I remembered going through a drive through car wash with my family when I was little and my sister screaming hysterically because she was so afraid of the spraying water and the spinning scrubbers. I began rethinking the effectiveness of my plan... but I was desperate, we still had one more stop to make and nothing was helping her to calm down... so we entered. I figured that it couldn't get any worse and thankfully it didn't. She stopped crying, although it wasn't because she was enjoying it she was just terrified into silence. Roy on the other hand enjoyed it thoroughly. Here are the pics to document this milestone in their little lives.

looking at the scrubbers

shock and awe

pure bliss

Happy 2nd Birthday Lilli!

Yesterday we celebrated Lilli's 2nd Birthday. Her birthday happened to coincide with my first day of work for this school year so I was bummed I wasn't able to spend the whole day with her but still had a lot of fun getting her cake, her outfit, and her presents together. This year her birthday party is all about ladybugs (hence the ladybug outfit and cake). I had no idea how fun and easy planning a ladybug party could be... it's amazing what you can do with red and black circles!! I'll have more pics to come after her party day.

For her actually birthday daddy took her out for doughnuts in the morning and then went to Barnes and Noble to let them play trains and read some books (which she absolutely loves). Then when I got home I finished up her party outfit, decorated her cake, and helped daddy put together her present from Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Russ in the 100+ degree heat. At 6 we 'talked' to my parents via webcam and let them see her reaction to their gift - a super cute playhouse. It's fun that even though we live so far away they still got to share in the joy of their present with her! After eating dinner we did the cake thing and then after cake she opened her presents.

Enjoying her new house with Roy and her friend Oliver.

A special birthday kiss from her big brother... you can tell she loved it :o)

What a cute little Lilli-Bug!!

A close up of the cake, yes there are some bald spots but what do you expect?- I'm an amateur.

What fun to celebrate yet another year of our crazy family!

Growing Up

Tomorrow is Lillian's birthday, she'll be 2 years old already!! I have found that in the process of growing up not much phases me. I don't get emotional when my kids get out of their tiniest clothes, or when they start walking, or give up their pacifiers. I don't cry when they become potty trained, or when they stop sleeping with their little butt in the air. I celebrate with them in all those moments and am as proud of their accomplishments as they are. But, the day before their birthday.... I am a mess. Everything becomes a last for me. The last time Josh will kiss her goodbye as a 1 year old. The last time I'll put her down for her nap as a one year old. The last time I'll get to hold and snuggle and smell her as a 1 year old. The last time I lay her down for the night as a 1 year old. Now granted when she wakes up in the morning she's still going to be my same feisty little Lilli, wrestling Roy to get her babies back, spilling food during every meal because she insists on not wearing a bib, asking to watch Kipper the Dog, Angelina Ballerina or Zoe, giving me lots of hugs and kisses and "I love yous" throughout the day. But someday she won't she keeps changing and the day before her birthday is when I look back and see how different she has become. Tomorrow I'll celebrate with her and be truly excited about her growing up, but for today I'm sentimental and teary eyed.

newborn Lilli

Gorilla Mountain!!

So a few weeks ago I posted that Roy was working on saving his money because he found a really awesome but rather expensive toy that he wanted from Toys R' Us. Well after 8 weeks and many odd jobs (including washing the car, washing the kitchen floor, 'folding' laundry, picking up Lilli's toys, putting diapers in the diaper champ, giving Craig hugs, and a few other random instances where we may or may not have bribed him with quarters) he had earned a total of $37.10.

When we started this endeavor I knew it would be hard for him, the toy actually cost $43.00, that's a lot of quarters! And in the midst of his earning we discovered that Toys R' Us is the only place that carries this particular Imaginext Toy, that they closed them out and discontinued them online, and they only had 2 left in the store. I was nervous for him, I could just imagine after weeks and weeks of excitement and saving arriving at the store to find out it was gone. So of course I prepped him for this and reassured him that if Gorilla Mountain was gone he would be able to find another equally awesome toy to buy. I was determined to make him stick it out until he had all the cash but then I began imagining how I would feel if I worked that hard for something just to find out that I was $6 short and someone else bought the last one. So I caved... I announced to him yesterday that we were going to go buy it and that even though he didn't have all his dollars marked off of his saving chart mommy was going to help him pay for the rest. The giddiness and joy that this announcement elicited was absolutely priceless! So we packed up and he grabbed his little trash can of cash and went to check if the last one was still there. (We had visited it the week before and knew there was only one left.) As we trudged through the store, Roy's coins jingling away, we were asked if we needed help and I (giddily) replied, "Nope, we're on a mission for one toy." As we approached the aisle that contained Gorilla Mountain my heart started beating faster (it really did, I was nervous for him!) And lo and behold, there was still one left!!! Here are the photos that document this joyous occasion.

Sitting with Gorilla Mountain and his Oscar the Grouch trash can full of money. As soon as we put it in the cart he said "OK now let's go home." That's unheard of for a 3 year old in Toys R' Us! He didn't even want to look at the other toys he just wanted to race home and open 'his' Gorilla Mountain!

At the checkout ready to make it official!

The piles of money that I helped the cashier count.

Finally in it's new home all spread out and ready to be enjoyed. Once we got home he played with it for 2 1/2 hours straight until it was time for his nap... then he packed it up and put it in his closet. As soon as he got up from his nap he got it out again. He may have already gotten his money's worth :o)

Cousins

Here are some pics from Josh's family's recent visit to Texas (OK so not really that recent... I'm a bit behind) Somehow I forget to take pictures when we're all together... maybe it's because we all have the same camera and subconsciously I'm tricked into thinking my camera is the one taking pictures. Anyway... Josh doesn't have a very good track record for nieces and nephews liking him so the picture of him holding Wynton is pretty epic.

Lilli and Wynton eating their supper and giving the camera a really good "CHEESE" (Wynton is Josh's sister's youngest he's about 6 weeks younger than Lilli)

The epic "no he really does like me!" picture.

My bathing beauty playing in her Aunt Lissa and Uncle Jim's pool.

(Josh's brother who lives in Georgetown, TX.)

Roy and Lils chilling with their Nana or "Mans" - even though Lilli can repeat Nana just fine she has decided to call her "Mans" instead.

Wisconsin

Well we arrived in Wisconsing on Wednesday June 30th and will be here through the 14th of July. During that time we'll be enjoying the crisp breezes, cool lakes, plethora of wildlife, and many friends and family. Internet service will be spotty and depend on where we're staying so I'll have to post pictures like a mad woman when I get home :o)

The kids are having a great time with cousins and new toys and their grandparents' houses :o) This afternoon we enjoyed the Tomahawk 4th of July parade and I have to say I prefer a parade in the rain to a 90 degree parade in the sun. Although we're a bit wet we had a lot of fun and look forward to the rest of our stay here!

Saving

Recently Roy found a castle toy at Wal-Mart that he really wanted. Since we're a family who usually just buys toys for special occasions and his birthday and Christmas aren't in his near future I suggested that he start doing some extra jobs around the house to save up for it. He thought it was a great idea and began earning money by helping with the dishes, laundry, putting away Lilli's dirty diapers, and washing the floors. The beauty of this plan was that his toy cost $15 enough for him to begin learning about saving but not enough for him to get frustrated about not being able to get his toy. Well then a couple of days ago we went to Toys R Us to look at toys and he found this Gorilla Mountain by Imaginext. So he decided he doesn't want the castle anymore he'd rather save for the "waterfall." The problem is that the "waterfall" costs $43 at Toys R Us, quite a stretch from $15. So I drew out a savings plan for each showing him how many dollars he needs for each toy and how many dollars he has. He still chose the Gorilla Mountain. So now he has $8... only $35 more to go. At a rate of about $1.00 a day he'll be able to get his "waterfall" sometime in the end of July. I sure hope they still have it by then!!

And for those of you who think he might change his mind by then... when he was 2 1/2 he saved $25 from going on the potty to buy James (a train) and it took him a month... he was very persistent. He even remembers going to Barnes and Noble to fork over his $25 in ones and quarters :o)