Carwash Anyone?

*Warning - semi nude toddler pictures ahead.

I love that the kids are getting more independent these days. They're at an age (4 & 2) where they can play I don't have to hover over them constantly. They can play independently with each other, playing make believe, coloring, bouncing on their bounce balls, you name it.

Well the other night while I was cooking dinner they were playing in the living room. Anyone that's been to our house knows that we have a very open floorplan. So open that the kitchen opens right into the living room and aside from the section where the pantry is you can generally see whats going on. So anyway, I'm cooking and big boy asked if he could wash his cars. He has a toy carwash he likes to play with but instead he wanted to wash his cars in the bathroom sink. The bathroom is also right next to the kitchen and with the door left open I can keep an ear out for whatever is going on in there. No problem, right? Big Boy took a handful of cars and was splashing about happily for quite a while until Boopy decided it looked fun and wanted to join in. not long after she was in there, Big Boy comes out to me and tells me that Boopy is doing a "no-no"!

I walk in to find this: naked Boopy sitting in amongst the cars in the sink. Guess a bath sounded fun or perhaps she making up for the fact that I never bathed her in the traditional baby bathtubs in the sink.

Poor Big Boy was a bit worried about the condition of his cars.

Making herself comfortable.

This is how Big Boy had been playing before his sister took over.

Our life is never dull!

I figure I'm long overdue to give you all a family update. Aside from our little outings here and there, we've made some changes and adjustments to our daily life. Don't worry, nothing bad, just stuff that keeps our life from being dull! So, primarily our change stems from the need to downsize our outgoing monies and trying to get Big Boy into speech programs being made available to us. Like most everyone right now, we're finding finances to be rather tight, making options in life a bit frustrating. And like everyone else we're trying to find ways to save and be smarter with our money. So....we've made a change in our daycare set-up.

Currently, the kids are not in daycare. We removed them as of July 4th. Yes, we LOVED where they were at but the cost ($1500/month) was really rough on our budget. The horrible thing is that the cost is very reasonable compared to a lot of other facilities and the care was fabulous. So, what are we doing instead, you ask? Well, until our trip in August to visit family in Washington, my absolutely wonderful friends are pitching in to help us out. I've configured a "Big Boy/Boopy Summer Camp". Each friend that was able, included my sister-in-law, has taken a week or couple of days within a week and is watching the kids. So far, it's gone quite well and the kids are getting rather spoiled! They even got to enjoy Vacation Bible school with Mikayla! I just hope they don't wear anyone out too bad! After we return from our trip in August, we have a wonderful gal set to be our "nanny". She was one of Boopy's teachers at the daycare that left the school for various reasons but we have stayed in contact with her. I know the kids will have a ball hanging out with her as I'm sure she will plan lots of fun activities and keep them well entertained.

This will all be in addition to trying to take advantage of whatever resources we can for Big Boy. While daycare has been fantastic for his speech, we really want to make sure he is Kindergarten ready and won't have any issues due to his slow speech abilities. Last year, we were made aware of a preschool type program a couple of days a week through our school district that was geared directly for kids like Big Boy who need more help with their speaking abilities. Last year, however, Papa Vaughn was gone for 3 months of training for the Air National Guard and there was no way I could juggle the program, 2 separate daycares and work a full-time job. This year, however, depending on how the program is laid out, we can take advantage of it by having a nanny who can drive him there. We're also trying to get him into the HeadStart program, but I'm finding that it's not as easy as I was first lead to be. We may have some difficulties because regardless of Big Boy's need, on paper we look like we rich. Sure wish we were! So, anyway, there we are on the kid front. I'll keep you updated on the HeadStart progress. Wish me luck!

One other change going on is temporary, just don't know for how long. Papa Vaughn left this morning for an 8 day fire fighting training in Sacramento. At the end of the training, if the need for help in fighting all the California fires is great enough he'll be shipped off to one of them, for a possible to 30-45 days. While I really don't relish the idea of doing the single mom thing again like last year and having Papa miss out on our trip to Washington, the pay is really really good. And while I don't want the fires to continue, especially when Papa Vaughn's wonderful Aunt & Uncle are in an area being directly affected by the northern California fires, we could really use the extra income. So, pray that if Papa's help is needed he'll be safe and well taken care of. Oh, and pray for Boopy and my sanity. That little girl has only begun her terrible two's and I'm hoping we both make it to her three's!

So, I hope you're summers are going well and hopefully a bit calmer, quieter and more relaxing than ours. At the same time, you can never get bored with the going-on's of our crazy hectic life. By the way, I really do plan on posting some circus, Obon Festival and Grizzly game pics. Celebrating Papa's birthday over the weekend, packing him, shuttling the kids, working on paying customer pictures from our Vegas trip and oh, yeah, sleep, has taken priority much to my dismay. If only I had more time and a monetary windfall, I'd consider my dream to work from home doing my photography and spending more time with the kiddos. One day maybe, one day....

I made someone smile today!

Well, okay it was actually a couple of days ago, but anyway, a sweet gal from England stumbled across my blog in search of new blogs to read and I promptly made her smile. She even addressed my blog in a post of her own including a "Smile Award" she made. Click on the award picture below and it will take you to her blog. And of course she's extra cool because her name is "Gail"!

Monkey See. Monkey Do.

I'm constantly being reminded that Big Boy and Boopy are two completely different types of kids. Big Boy is mellow, easy going, generally listens quite well and absorbs what he chooses. While he is starting to assert his independence more and more, giving me more attitude than he used to, he is generally a pretty easy kid. Boopy on the otherhand, oh my. I'm torn whether it's a second child trait, a "girl" thing or simply just Boopy, but regardless, she can be exhausting. She picks up on EVERYTHING and absorbs it like a sponge. While Big Boy will choose to ignore the going-ons in his surroundings and read a book, Boopy hears everything and wants to be involved in it all. There's not much that gets past this kid.

The other night she was frustrating me as usual, testing my limits and reaching them rather quickly. So quickly in fact that after she stood there and continued to throw refrigerator magnets on floor all while looking at me immediately after I told her to stop, she found herself promptly put on time-out. Time-outs with Boopy are a challenge. Unlike Big Boy, who stays where you put him and almost immediately cries because he is upset that he is in trouble, Boopy laughs. Boopy immediately tries to get up and run away and make it a game. She seriously tests my patience. This night was no different. I've found that putting her in the hallway leading to the kitchen from the front door and closing the french doors works best to make her feel isolated and punished. It often takes a while for her to be willing to listen to me and decide that, yes, she is going to use her "listening ears" and be a good big girl for me.

So, a little while after our successful time-out, Boopy was playing in the living room. I'm not sure what lead up to this, but I saw Boopy take her sippy cup of milk into the hallway and place it in her time-out spot. It was all I could do to not laugh out loud at the dialogue she had with her milk.

• (Boopy speaking sternly and pointing her finger.) "Milk. Stay there! Not nice, milk, not nice. Milk, Listen! Listen, Milk!" (Apparently the milk had not listened!)

She has proceeded to mimic this over the past few days. She even put her feet on time-out while riding in the car! Apparently her feet weren't listening to her so she stuck them out and told them to stay and that they weren't being nice.

Guess we REALLY have to watch what we say, huh!

(Please excuse the ugly formatting - really I had it nicely laid out with spaces between paragraphs, etc in the edit screen, but for some reason, Blogspot is not saving it correctly for actual viewing. Arghhhh!!!)

Wacky Faces

To tied you over while I try to find the Grizzles baseball game pictures (I saved them and have no idea where on the computer I put them) and while I catch up on my other personal pictures from our Vegas 4th of July, last Thursday's surprise night at the circus and our cultural night out this Saturday to the Japanese Obon Festival, I've loaded some wacky kid face pictures for you to enjoy.

While enjoying dinner one night two weeks ago the kids shared their talents. It's becoming increasingly aware that Boopy is a very dramatic child destined for the movies or Broadway. Poor Big Boy continues to be a good sport and has to put up with a camera constantly in his face and his slightly deranged, I mean sweet little sister.

This is Boopy's "I'm Sad" face.

This is Big Boy's "She's Crazy" face.

This is Boopy's "I'm Full of Mischief, Can't You Tell" face.

This is Big Boy's "I Can't Believe I'm Related to HER. BUT, I can roll my tongue!" face.

This is Boopy's "Wow! He's got talent!" face.

This is Big Boy's "Do You Really HAVE to Keep Taking Random Pictures of Me???" face.

This is Boopy's "I Know I'm Cute, Even With a Messy Face" face.

Vegas Here We Come!

So, I promised an update of pictures of the kids. They're adorable, right? What you can't see them? Hmmm...must be gremlins in my computer hiding them from you. Or it could be that cleaning out my car, packing myself and two kids, setting up my camera stuff, cooking dinner, cleaning up after dinner, chasing two kids around for bath time, etc all kept me from keeping my promise. So, unfortunately you'll have to wait until next week when I'll have even more to share!

So have a safe and happy 4th of July everyone! I'll think of you when I'm hanging out in the Las Vegas heat, enjoying the community pool at my sister's condo, taking pictures up in Mt. Charleston for some fabulous families and helping my sister pack. You can think of poor Papa Vaughn who will be left at home to work and maybe, if he's nice, do a bit of laundry. Don't feel too bad for him though as his sister will be there visiting and he has the 4th off to hang out with Darren, Caroline and his sister, Kathlea (or better known as Aunt Kat).

Distracted by pictures - as usual!

As usual lately, my time has been working on pictures for other people. Check out the latest at my photo blog.

But have no fear, I've started transferring over pictures from this weekend's family fun, so I'll have plenty of Big Boy and Boopy shots to share soon. We were given tickets to the local Grizzlies baseball game and dinner Friday night. While we didn't watch much of the game, it was Ag night so Big Boy was in heaven with the plethora of tractors and big trucks to climb on. So, stay tuned, I promise to post before the kids and I leave for Vegas this weekend. My wonderful sister showed off the pictures I recently took of her and her husband and landed me some clients! So off we go for Fourth of July fun that should pay for itself!