Veggietales

Apparently other peoples' gardens are doing just fine this year (ours isn't) so there have been people with over-abundance of squashes.  We were gifted a giant zucchini and a pretty hearty spaghetti squash as well.  The girls knew just what to do with it all.  Meet Zuzu, the zucchini and Scarlett, the spaghetti squash.

Now, who says you can't play with your food?  :-)  Chloe says they'll be really sad when Mommy eats them.  Yeah, because nobody else is a real fan of squash, at least in food format.

Fave Past Times

Gavin LOVES vacuuming. 

Annoyingly so.  I think I've mentioned before.  This week, I vacuumed the living room and then gave him a turn then I did the unthinkable and made a movie of him vacuuming.  Then I let him watch the movie.  You know what he loves even more than just vacuuming?  Watching himself vacuuming.  Yeah, it's pretty cute.

So here is a video of him vacuuming.  I think it is impressive just how well he does with this.


And here is him watching himself vacuuming for like the 25th time in a row.

Beauty Salon

I got the royal treatment this week.  After showering, the girls decided they wanted to do my hair.  So since I had already gotten all the snarls out (tangles), I layed down on my bed and let Tati go to it.

After a while, Chloe joined in.  They'd comb and brush and comb and brush then disappear to grab something important like another comb or a spray bottle of water or a clip.  Chloe did about 10 braids until she finally had one she liked.  Tati added and pulled out (ouch) about 10 clips before decided which ones she really liked.  Then I was done.  Chloe tried to make her side of my head look like a "grown up" because she confided in me that Tati's side looked a bit "little kidish".  Meanwhile Tati told me how awesome I looked because I had "little kid hair".  Cute girls with cute little perspectives.

Reading Rainbow

I took this funny/cute picture of the girls working on their summer reading stuff.  I decided to do one from home this year instead of going through the library.  No offense to the library but I just thought their activities weren't super fun this year.  Then I found this super fun idea here.  Anyway, the girls love the BINGO card and the girls have been hilarious filling in the different spots.  I'm still waiting to see them read in the bathtub.  I'll have to take a picture of that one.  Here is Chloe reading to Tati who happens to be wearing a hat.  Check.  For Tati's first BINGO,  she won a little stuffed pig from the thrift store.  It was so hilarious that this was her hearts desire. (That is a giant mosquito bite on her forehead.  They're getting pretty bad this year again.)

Valley Zoo

Some of my favorite things about summer are that Chloe is home all day long.  We took the opportunity to go swimming a lot, picnic a lot and also go to the zoo a lot.

We let the kids ride on the train.  It was more exciting in idea than in actual, Greg told me.  I decided not to ride and save us some money.

Gavin rode his first merry go round.  He thought it was pretty great.  Tati thought it was pretty great too until she got too cocky and fell off.

Tati landed on her head.  They made me get on the ride and be right next to her and the tears finally subsided.  After the ride was done, she was sent over to the "nurse" in the administration building.  She was like 18 and asked Tats if she wanted a band aid or an ice pack.  Then I had to sign a paper that I was taking her from the "nurse" on my own will and accord.  She cried for a bit but after we bought some cotton candy, she was miraculously all fixed.  ;-)  Gavin didn't know what to think about cotton candy.  He was kind of afraid of it and a little grossed out by it too.  And yet he kept asking for more because at the same time he thought it was so delicious.  It was pretty cute.

We also had a picnic lunch with an elephant casually walking behind us (don't tell Bob Barker).

And the girls were thrilled to go and see the new seal exhibit and pretend like they were underwater.

 For as small and ghetto as this zoo is, we sure do enjoy it.

Tati's Photo Shoot

I don't know how you could be around this girl and not be happy.  She is so hilarious and freaking loveable and she just LOVES doing everything.  There is so much joy in her opinionated body.

Buddies

I just love seeing these two together.  They both love each other so much and really enjoy spending time together.  Here they're eating some frozen go gurts on the porch.  It has been so amazing watching Chloe really grow up and enjoy being the big sister.

Come on.  Isn't this adorable?