Summer Fun at Busch...

Gardens that is...
After finding out on Thursday that Tom will be deploying again, we decided to drown our sorrows in some good old fashioned fun!  Nothing like crummy news to make you appreciate current circumstances.  So until September (when Tom leaves for FL and possibly on to the desert), you better hold on to your hats and chewing gum because we Paganos are going to be turning up the FUN!

This is the first year that Mia is big enough to ride the rides.  It could have gone either way, but turns out she LOVES the rides.

Even the merry-go-round was, you guessed it, MERRY.  Very.

Dueling curly pony tails.

I am pretty sure those girls are rock stars.

Emma totally talked Daddy into riding "Escape from Pompeii"...they barely survived. 

Note the screaming, scared look on Daddy's face.

Planning our attack. 

Don't let their size fool you, Emma and Mia are ruthless Amusement Park Commandos. 

"Mommy happy"

Mi Mi had a blast on the choo choo train.

Bring it!  Mia ain't scurred. (As Mia would say) 

The gals took a break from the really wild rides to recline in their hot air balloon built for 2.

Mia and Emma fought for the controls.  

No comments on the facial expression...I was really enjoying the lemonade.

Yes, please touch the lens.

Flying dragons are cool, but...

...Mia was more impressed with the Loch Ness Monster ride (yellow track in background)

After several more rides, we finished up with another round on the horses.  The kids begged us to stay longer, but we had already been there for 5 hours!  

Thanks to some quick thinking and a couple of giant rice crispy squares with sprinkles, we were able to keep them from screaming too loudly as we exited the amusement park.

Happy 4th of July!

We LOVE summer!

We just love having Emma home from school for the summer!  

Having a big fenced yard has really paid off for us again this year, as the kids play in the pool each day and love to run around like cute little maniacs.

Mia always starts off so cute.  

And then she gets even cuter.

She loves to make mud holes.

Her laugh is so contagious!

Cheeky little monkey.

Shorty hangs with us in the yard, but avoids the water works.

ta da!

Good old dog

I made tofu for dinner, and the girls actually fought over it!

Not one piece was left in the bowl.

And we ended the day with ice cream cones.  

Hooray for summer!

So You Think You Can Dance...Like Emma?

Emma had her first dance recital!  She was so beautiful and we were very proud of how much she has learned in just one season of lessons.

Here's Emma in her robe (to keep her dress clean).  

Red lipstick and all!

Here she is waiting back stage.

Too doggone cute!

A big high five before her dance.  

Click below to see the video (if you DARE!)

Emma's First Dance Recital

We met her at the door with roses.  She felt so important!

As you can see by the grin.

She also had some flowers waiting for her at home from her friend, Luke.  

We were all too tired to get any fancy shots, but she posed a couple more times when we told her she did not have to wear that dress ever again, and that she did not have to do any ballet again until fall.

Hooray for Emma!

What a gal

That's Sick!

Always one to fashion an opportunity from an apparent setback, I set out today to practice some of my newfound photography book-learnin'.

Between barf-laundry loads and during breaks from scrubbing floors I got a couple of nice shots.

Turns out a sick child is a fantastic photography subject/victim!

 Fun with Apature

Practicing Perspective

Curious George can make even this little puker smile.

I have also discovered Mia's potential for an awesome Joe Dirt style mullet.

Next stop: Hairstyling?

Maybe.