R2D2 smells like bubble gum

I love how having kids makes every day life so much more fun. Yesterday while I was out looking for ways to justify the fact that I was not packing, I decided to vacuum out and wash the van. We pulled up to the gas station and Jane got to put the quarters in the vacuum machine. Then she danced around begging for a turn with the gigantic vacuum hose until I finally relented and let her have the last 10 seconds before our time ran out. She had such a wild determination in her eyes. I could easily imagine her wrestling anacondas--and enjoying it-- after watching her wield that vacuum hose.

We went through the car wash next. A guy came out and mopped down our windows first. That was an adventure in itself. "OOH! He's going to do mine next!" "Hey, I see a double headed dragon in the suds!" "HEY! Now he's doing MY window!"

Then we entered the tunnel o' fun. Worth every penny of the eight bucks we spent. The car wash is better than any amusement park ride. The first part of the show was the foamy pink stuff. In addition to being really cool to watch, it had a nice fruity smell that lingered in our ventilation system for a few hours afterward.

Mom: Hey, can you smell that? That foamy stuff smells good, huh?
Thomas: Yeah, it smells like GUM! THAT FOAM SMELLS LIKE BUBBLE GUM! IT SMELLS LIKE PINK BUBBLE GUM!! (Thomas has one volume these days).
Jane: It smells like BUBBLE GUM!!!
Benjamin: It smells like R2D2!

Our life is really good.