California here we come. . .

We'll be back after the 4th.

VBS

I was going to wait until the week was over for a post on VBS but I thought I would share this video clip from today. We are on our second day of "Power Lab". I wanted to take Mai's picture by the decorations. She wanted to perform. She is having a great time and maybe by Friday she'll know some more words to this song!

(I've said before this girl is not much like me and this conversation confirms it) we were driving home and I told her we were going home for dinner. Her response, "No thanks, I already ate earlier this morning. That's enough food for today."

More heat = More water

Our neighborhood had a summer party this weekend and we got a chance to have some fun and meet some of our new neighbors. Snow cones, pizza, water slides, swimming, what more could you want? Here is a glimpse of our night of swimming, sliding, snacking and socializing.

Mai loved the dolphin slide and it was hard to lure her away to anything else.

Ava was all about the snow cones.

She was willing to share. . . but just a little Daddy!

Which view do you prefer?

The one from yesterday?

Or the one from today?

Rules are made for breaking.

Or at least that's what this kid thinks. While I was making lunch she told me she would just sit at her table and wait. This is "her table" and really who am I to mess with that idea?

If you're not convinced how about this "great" idea?

I suppose it's best that I still don't have any "good" makeup.

Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day!

This is where I would put the great picture of Galen and the girls if I had taken one. . . I'm still going to do it when I can get some cooperation. ** In case anyone checks back I did try and get a picture of Galen and the girls. . . Not the "great one" but here they are.**

This is why I didn't get a great one. Don't try and take a donut away from a toddler and expect cooperation for a picture. As you saw we gave it back but, she was still not pleased with us.

We had a fun day with family. The crew headed this way for some fun at the pool and a cookout. It was a really pretty day and plenty hot so the pool was the best place to be. Have you noticed a theme to our summer? It seems all of our activities revolve around water - that's what happens when you live in Texas/the surface of the sun.

Towels - check, swim toys - check, life jackets - check, kids - check, camera - oops it didn't make it to the pool with me. I thought I had put my moms pictures on my computer but I can't find them so that leaves this post a little empty. I'll add those later too.

Here is a glimpse at what the day felt like to me and what Mai and her cousins managed to do to her room. It is safe to say I like to have a bit more control then this.

I know, I know, sometimes you just have to let go. . .

and a storm did brew. . .

Those summer winds that were blowing blew the girls and I all the way to Houston. And a storm we did bring. Galen was going to be exceptionally busy so the girls and I headed to Houston to see my cousin and have some fun. It was going to be great . . .

Mai who must prefer flying about an hour into our trip asked where we were going. I reminded her that we were going to Houston then once again listed all the fun people we were going to see. That obviously wasn't where the confusion was. After a moment of silence she responded with "so is big jet sick?" Big jet (thank you Little Einsteins) is who usually takes us on our trips and if we weren't flying he surely must have been sick! I love the way that girl thinks. Mostly.

Without reliving all the damage "the storm" caused we'll just say this wasn't our smoothest of trips. Thank goodness they're family and they love us no matter what. . . We did certainly mix in some fun and I'm sure we created some good stories for 20 years down the road.

As hard as it is for me to get great pictures of 2 toddlers - it's even harder to get them of 3.

Here are just a few. Can you see the love we shared?

We had some fun at the pool with the bathing beauties.

This backseat was full of fun as well. Ella has a look of concern but she loved the company. We think. . .

Thank you Condreys and Houston Mailands for loving us.

Summer is blowing in . . .

It has been HOT and WINDY around here.
It's bad news when your toys start to blow away. Mai was a little concerned about this. So the Princess tried using her "super powers" to save the day.

She just couldn't fight the wind so she and Ava decided they should "take cover".

Her wind concerns didn't end there. The next day we were walking to the pool and the wind was still blowing something serious. All the trees in the neighborhood are new so a couple were coming right out of the ground from the wind. Mai and I were noticing them and with a big sigh and much drama she said, "great, now my neighborhood is going to be ruined!"

Got some gobbles

Mai has been asking for "gobbles" since about January. What she really was wanting - goggles. I finally got her a pair, she was so excited and couldn't wait to use them. "Thank you Mommy, now I can go swimming and not get water in my eyes!" She followed that up with "now all I need is mouth gobbles so I don't get water in my mouth."

She did tell me later that she would have prefered orange over pink. . .