First Trip to the Splash Park

It's Summer in Vegas, I don't care what the calendar says. The forecast was 99 degrees today. We went to the splash park this past weekend with my mom. I like the splash park because I don't have to get wet and I don't have to worry about my kids drowning. :)

Grandpa and May Visit Vegas

My dad went on his annual motorcycle ride to Las Vegas and to the Laughlin River Run, and this time we convinced my mom to come along too. Not on the Harley - too hot, too many bugs and too uncomfortable - but she flew down to meet us and stayed a day after he started the two-day drive home.  My dad has gone on this trip almost every year since I have lived in Las Vegas - and this is my 14th year here. Is that right, Dad? It is a very special tradition for me and I am so happy they both came this time.

I think these were the only pictures I got of both my parents with the kids so I have to post all three...

We just did our normal schedule for the most part - walking Claire to school, going out to eat at our favorite lunch spots, meeting Kevin and Cindy (my Dad's sister who lives in Henderson) for dinner, and of course going to Bass Pro Shop.

 This is how Matt spent most of their visit - headed off to class, or studying. Just a few more weeks until the semester is over! Seventeen days, but who's counting?

Miles got one last chance to ride on the motorcycle before my dad headed back home. He said he wants his own someday - hmm.

Who is this blue eyed baby? Her hair is getting lighter and lighter every day! Sometimes it is so weird to me that she is mine since I always expect the dark eyes and hair to be dominant in the gene pool. But I know she's mine because she sure is cute!

Saturdays With Penelope

Tuesdays With Morrie has nothing on us - this is how Penelope and I spend our Saturdays at soccer, hidden away out of the sun. Miles is usually nearby, running around and kicking a soccer ball dangerously close to Claire's field. I love these pictures of Penelope holding a dandelion.

First Haircut...

...at a barber shop, that is. Miles' hair was driving me crazy and I just couldn't wait any longer for Matt to cut it. UNLV is kind of all-consuming right now. I also kind of wanted a little boy cut that wasn't a buzz cut for the summer, so we just walked into a barber shop and sat Miles down with a booster seat. He did great!

Vegas Tourists

Everyone should be a tourist in their own town sometimes, right? Our friends are moving from Las Vegas in a few months and they have a bucket list of things to do here before they leave. We joined them to check out Pink's Hot Dogs at Planet Hollywood, and then a walk down to M&M World. Pink's was worth the $7 price tag. Our chili bacon dogs were delicious! We were definitely off our diets for this visit...

In classic Vegas tourist mode, we decided that it didn't seem that far to walk from Pink's to M&M World, but it felt too long with each smut handler that we passed. The kids had a great time, but I think their innocence and excitement to be walking down The Strip, hand in hand with their friends, made it easy for them to look past some of the unpleasant parts of our town. I was literally sick to my stomach a few times thinking that my children were in that environment. I have lived here for a long time, and I like to think I am not a prude or overly sensitive, but Vegas has changed. Pushing my stroller through a carpet of discarded cards, I decided that I am OK to never walk down to the Strip again. I would go straight to see something like the gardens at Bellagio but not just to walk around.

On a positive note, look how much fun they had? And we only have a few more months to hang out with the Nielsons, so we are glad we got to spend time with them. Next time, Red Rock?

Beauty and the Beast

Claire and I were lucky enough to see Beauty and the Beast at the Smith Center this weekend. On a super fun girls day out with MeMa, Leah, Jonelle and Genevieve, we were all so excited to be there that we ended up being the first ones in line for our section of the theatre. When Claire walked into the theatre hallway she said it seemed like a hotel because it was so quiet, and when she first saw the main portion of the theatre she just looked up and stared up at all the box seats and the beautiful decorations. We had seats on the front row - I was a bit worried about that, but we got booster seats for the girls and they seemed ok. Plus we could look down into the orchestra pit to see all the musicians, and see the actors' facial expressions (and spit and sweat), which I thought was very cool.

When the show finally started, Claire had her hand over her mouth in amazement for the better part of five minutes. This was her first play, and she didn't quite understand what it would be like. She kept asking me if it was like a movie, and would there be popcorn? For most of the show I was torn between wanting to watch her reactions and wanting to see the production.

We snuck a few photos inside - as you can see, we were trying to be quick with our cell phones. I know. We were not being good audience members. But I had to capture a few shots of Claire's first show in case she ever becomes a singer or actress or something and we can trace it all back to this moment of inspiration. :) She could have danced around on that stage outside all day long. I hope we just created a great memory, and maybe a new tradition. Claire is already asking me about going to see Mary Poppins at Tuachan in St. George.

Penelope @ 11 Months

One month left before the Big 1 Year! Penelope is becoming quite a little copy cat -she can make the sound of a sheep and a dog, and will also copy us when we blow raspberries. She also makes little sing-song noises when I sing to her at bedtime. It's seriously precious.

Let's see - what are her other tricks? She waves goodbye, gives high fives and is a good little cruiser - she pulls up on the couch and walks along the edge and then tries to move on to the next piece of furniture.

She also started climbing the stairs recently - she is funny because she gives herself boundaries in the house and stays within them for a few months. When she first started crawling she wouldn't leave the rug to venture out to the tile. Then she went out onto the tile, but wouldn't try the stairs so we never put the gate up. Then the other day, I found this:

Time for the gate! And time to get ready for that first birthday party! 

Soccer Hair

No soccer game for Claire this week, so instead of game pics I thought I would show a few of Claire's recent sporty spice hairstyles. I could do so much more with her hair if she would only expand her horizons to include pig tails :) I had the cutest hairstyle in mind for picture day, two cute buns with the forest green ribbons, but she would have none of it. 

So we did the style in the last picture - two small ponytails pulled into one high ponytail. My favorite is the two french braids into a ponytail. Am I thinking about this a little too much? Ha!

I love looking at those websites for little girl hairstyles and ribbon ideas. I am the unofficial team hair ribbon maker each season, and I think all the girls look so cute every week. We can worry about them being tough and aggressive later on.

Cell Phone Pics Catch Up

A few random pictures from my phone that I wanted to remember - sometimes it's the only way I can capture a quick moment with the kids. 

The Camry is in the shop after a teenager rear ended Matt on his way home from UNLV a few weeks ago - he didn't even get a ticket because the cop said the damage looked to be less than $700. Apparently that is a law in Nevada... but lo and behold, the officer was not a mechanic and the estimate came back at $4,400. On a 2002 Camry, that pretty much eats up most of the value of the car..so now what? In the meantime, the kids enjoyed riding their booster seats in the living room and taking the rental car for a spin. 

Claire's latest accessory - clip on earrings that a woman from work gave to me for Claire's dress up box. I think they are circa 1982. As you can see here, they don't stay in the dress up box. She wears them quite often (both these pictures are taken in Cafe Rio - how unlike us!) She told me the other day that she would like to get her ears pierced when she is 8, because at that age it won't hurt as bad. I think it still hurt in my 20s, sorry Claire!

 I took a random picture of the hair bows and headbands that are taking over my bathroom. What you don't see are the elastic headbands, some with bows attached and some without, that are off to the left. I confess that I do wear a few of these headbands from time to time, but I feel too "cutesy" to wear them to work.

Latest sign on the door to Claire and Miles' room, courtesy of Claire. She has taken to hanging up her notes and artwork with scotch tape all over the house. I feel bad when I take it down after a few days, so I am letting her keep a few things on her door. For now.

Just the cutest face there ever was! She looks a bit in shock - probably because of the noise level at the Art Night at Claire's elementary school last week. Penelope stayed in her stroller the whole time and was a good as can be - but she seemed a bit overwhelmed.

And proof that they do like each other! I had to record this moment. I will show it to them the next time they fight - oh wait, kids come here and look at the computer screen! Yeah, didn't take long... like cats and dogs, these two.