Pumpkin Patch Pics

Thanks again for the Irish Whistle, Grandma.

Thanks a ton. :)

17 Months and Wearing Us Out!

I forgot how tiring it is to chase a toddler. NOT that my 4 year old isn't in constant motion, all. day. long., but add a toddler in the mix and I'm one tired momma. Griffin Davis is into everything. Just this afternoon he somehow got ahold of a dry erase marker and wrote all over Ava's carpet. He scampers, he runs, he bangs, he kicks, he hits, he throws, he kisses, he loves, he is one-of-a-kind!

I love when it's time to go night-night how he says "mmmm" and puckers his lips to give kisses to everyone.

I love when he is doing something devious and gives that look and bolts.

I love how tickled he gets at my butterfly kisses.

I love when he asks for more.

I love that he waves to passers-by in the grocery store, he loves attention.

I love his smile behind his pacifier.

I love his obsession with all types of balls.

I love seeing his coordination with kicking, hitting, and throwing said balls. A basket of balls, and the boy is golden.

I love when he calls for me "meh meh" in times of need (i.e. stairs, opening doors, etc.)

I love that he has a special name for his beloved sissy, "ga-ga".

Griffin's Words:
mama, dada, pa-pa (pacifier), ga-ga (Ava), mo mo (more), yeah, baw baw (ball), kick

Signs:
More, please, all done, bunny, point-n-whine

The Highs and Lows of 4.5

This early morning, after Ava came into our bed for morning snuggles--seems to be her new thing--she decided that we needed breakfast in bed. What an amazing thing it is to have such a self-sufficient little girl who got cereal out, got the milk out, poured both and delivered it to us in bed. This small feat was a great start to our day. She then decided Griffin needed breakfast too and made him a peanut butter sandwich and banana. There was a little spill when she went to pour his milk, but that only makes for a good story.

Oh, Aves. You are one strong-willed little girl. Not surprising, seeing as how the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. However, I was a rule-following, mild-mannered, needed-to-please-kind-of-girl growing up, so your quest to have your way and pure sassiness is kind of making me pull my hair out. I mean, you are FOUR. These days, you are sent to your room no less than 2-3 times a day, I have to be honest, because of the talking back (and having learned a new phrase from where, I'm not sure, but that doesn't matter....I can't believe it, but it has happened!.......shut up!) and blatant disregard to our requests. This too shall pass. I hope. I also know that we are not alone as this seems to be prevalent in a lot of friends this age. We are just starting to get a glimpse of the brutal teenage years that lie ahead. And, oh my, have we got our hands full! There is no doubt that these same character traits will prove to be an asset for you as an adult, but for the time being, lay off the attitude a bit and we will all be more happy. I promise.

Bring on the Rain!

We finally got some much needed rain a few weeks ago. Once I determined that there was no storm threat, we headed outside to play. I LOVE watching kids play in the rain, as it reminds me of when I was young and loved playing in it. Watching Aves and Griff didn't disappoint, they were as excited as ever!

My Kids, in a Nutshell

Looking through some recent pictures, I came across these two and they made me giggle. Just my kids, being who they are.

My little "der Junge" sporting Ava's jazz shoes and a monkey back pack.



And my little baker, who when told we were going to bake, surprised me by coming out in her chef attire.

Peek-a-Boo Magic

Sis and Griff playing peek-a-boo behind the curtain, while sissy performs some magic to make Griffin appear.

Soccer Star!

Something happened this season in soccer. I'm sure it's that Ava understands the game a little more and has matured an entire year since last fall, but the lightbulb went off and Ava is out there hustlin' and keeping up with the game. She has a come to understand defense a little more and gives her all to keep the other team from scoring.

I have to note that the first game of the season was awful. She wasn't feeling it. She was tired. Gigi and Poppy were there to watch her, which we've come to realize might make her feel pressure (self-imposed, because we always go just to have fun). But she fell twice and just had an absolute meltdown. Like couldn't control herself and played maybe a quarter of the game until we just had to leave. I hadn't seen a temper tantrum like that in years. WOW!

However, game two, she decided that she was going to get back up after falls and being run over. She told us, "I'm just going to ignore it and keep going." We never told her to do this, but she decided that was how she was going to handle those situations again. And I have to say, I've never seen her play with so much gusto! At one point coach directed her to block the other team from scoring. However, Ava was only at midfield and the other team was about 10 feet from the goal (remember, the fields aren't that big). But, Ava raced down to the goal, blocked the girl, made a breakaway, and marched it all the way down the field to score! Oh my, I can't even explain how proud she was! After the game, I made sure to reiterate that it wasn't the scoring (she made 3 goals) that made me happy, but I was so proud of her for going out there and participating and having fun. She agreed! And she told me how proud of herself she was.

Here are some pics I snapped at our first game and first practice. Go Sassy Sidekicks!

Silly Boy!

Griffin is SUCH a class clown! He loves to do silly things just to get a laugh. He is able to get Ava out of a sulk, almost instantly, by cracking her up.

Homemade Paint

Wordless Wednesday: Temper Tantrums

I am seeing more of these faces lately because at 15 months old, we are beginning to see some temper tantrums, with an emphasis on temper. Uh oh!

Ava Stories

The other day, I asked Ava how she felt about there being so many other little girls with the same name.

Her reply?

"I think it's special. Ava is such a beautiful name and it's special because so many people like it and have it as a name. It makes me feel special."

Now that was an answer I didn't expect. Way to see the positive, you know?!

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As we were reading the book Olivia, we came across an artist named "Jackson Pollock". Now you may be more privy to his work than I, recognizing only the name, I wouldn't be able pick out any of his pieces. However, when Ava heard the name, her eyes lit up and got HUGE!

She said, "MOM! Jackson Pollock! We (ha!) know Jackson Pollock. He is the artist who doesn't use paint brushes. His drips his paint.

I couldn't believe it. We looked it up and sure enough, a lot of his artwork is made using a dripping technique. This was something she had learned at school, she tells me. It's great to see she is listening during art and applying her knowledge. And now I can identify a piece of Jackson Pollock's work!

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On a related note, Ava was at Gigi and Poppy's this weekend and she about burst when she saw a picture of Bach, as in Johann Sebastian Bach, on television. Gigi was delighted to tell me the story of Ava shouting out, "That's BACH! He plays Minuet in G!" And told Gigi all about her learning this in music. That's just so neat.

The Iceskater

She always keeps us entertained, that's for sure. On this day, an iceskater was born and coasted around the living room in her socks....I mean, skates, of course.

Wordless Wednesday: Sweet Summertime Siblings

Disneyland Day Three

Our final day at Disneyland was about tying up any loose ends in meeting characters we hadn't met and riding rides we hadn't done yet. No one was ready for the adventure to end. The weather was kind to us, the wait-times were not bad if you utilized the early times and FastPasses, and the whole ambiance of the park was contagious. We had an absolute blast!

One character that really tickled Ava was meeting Peter Pan. He was in character and being flighty and silly, while roaming around the area. Lines didn't mean much to him, he would just ho-hum along and you had to catch him. Ava found him sleeping and awoke him to ask for an autograph. She thought that was so funny. He kept asking "Whyyyyy?, Whyyyyy?".

At the wishing well, when we stepped away, I overheard Ava making her own wish. Down on bended knee, hands clasped in prayer position....."I wish I can live at Disneyland and live with the princesses in the castle." Sigh. Isn't that what this trip was all about? It was truly magical for her. I love it.











The only thing that HAD to be done on our final day was a visit to the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique for Ava to get the royal treatment of looking like a princess. Gigi bought her the entire Sleeping Beauty costume to go along with her new princess hairdo. I was kind of creeped out at how tight the "Fairy Godmother in training" pulled her hair up and back, but I asked Ava and she said it was fine (Later that night she confessed how tight it was). Ava felt so special and proud, that it was worth it. That evening, though, she did ask me if I could take her down so that she could look beautiful again, haha. I agree. MUCH more beautiful being simply Ava.









Waiting about an HOUR to meet with Rapunzel was WELL worth it! She talked with Ava for a good 6 minutes or so and was truly in character the whole time. Ava ate it up!While we waited, one of our old friends from Austin, who lives in CA now, met up with us and stayed and played all day with us.











For our last big meal, we had reservations at a family-style BBQ place that was SO GOOD! We inhaled the food, like starving vultures, and it kept coming. The best part was that right around the corner was the Big Mountain Railroad roller coaster that had us all wanting to go on it again and again. AVA even rode it. At first she was iffy on it, then said she wanted to do it again and LOVED it! She's quite a thrill-seeker, that girl. At one point we were riding it in the dark and I thought Ava wouldn't be too keen on that, but the fireworks were going off overhead and she enjoyed that.







This picture cracks me UP! It was on the flight home. A big fat fake smile is planted on my face, behind it I was sweating and swearing under my breath, to be honest. Ryan, well just look at him, bwhahaha! And Ava and Griffin were DONE. D.O.N.E.

Obviously we were ready to get home when we knew our vacation must come to an end. However, the plane ride with Griffin was very difficult. It was just less than a 3-hour flight and he was so so eager to just walk and wander around, or do ANYTHING but sit in our laps, which can only work so much with people and aisles being used frequently. We walked, we explored, we talked, we flirted, we played in the bathrooms, we changed a poopy diaper (of course he would have one on the airplane, don't you know?!) He whined and cried probably for probably 20(cumulative, not consecutive) minutes, but when you have nowhere to go, it seems like an eternity. I had several people tell me they've been there and no one was nasty about it, but BOY was it stressful! Poor Griffin was just being a toddler, I can't blame HIM, it's just an overall bad age to try restraining for long periods of time.