The Cardboard Adventures of Ava and Lola...episode 25

I cannot tell you how many times in the last week I've heard the term "geeeether....please!" from Ava. This always means go track down the cat, and place her in the box with Ava. I'll say it again and again, our cat is the BEST. She is so patient and gentle with Ava...the most resistance you'll get from her is an annoyed MEOW and maybe a swift exit out of whatever situation Ava has the cat in. While Lola is awesome with Ava, she also sets her up for unrealistic expectations of how cats will behave around children. Dang.

Pay close attention to the facial expressions of both Ava and Lola. You'll find some laughs in there!

California Cousins

Each Fall, some cousins of mine from California graciously make a trip back to the ol Ozarks to see family and get some hunting in. They also happen to have a little boy that is about 2 weeks younger than Ava. So it's been so fun the last two years to see the kids interact together. This year, Jeff and Randi (the CA cousins) brought not only a cute little boy, fun stories about their life on the west coast, but also some cashew chicken from Oriental Inn!! They also brought some Hot and Spicy, which I'd never had the courage to try, and it was good! I'll get it again. :)



The wagon and the jumping zebra toy were both a big hit with the kids. One and a half seems to be the age where sharing is still a foreign concept, no matter how many toys you throw at them!



The box...is still being used daily. And check out our cat Lola's face there...hilarious. She is obviously thrilled.

I have to brag on Ava's outfit...Wynston dressed her that day. Deer shirt, camo skirt. Cute and fitting.

More box shenanigans and funny cat faces.

Just for fun, here are Ava and Hunter last year! Look how much they've grown!!

Playtime

These days playtime is the name of the game. We play with wooden blocks, mega blocks, books, dolls, balls, boxes, wagons, pets, and shoes. Just to name a few things.

I'm loving the patterns Ava makes lately. She's a pretty smart cookie.

Reading to Daddy...ignore the pile of dirty laundry in the background!

Our attempt at the genius "baby + box + marker" concept.

In reality, it was less "marker + box" and more "marker + foot".

Ya, turns out that marker wasn't so washable. Opps. But who really minds some green feet.

Family Date Night

A couple weekends ago, we decided it was time for a family date night. Sushi was eaten, Christmas toys were tested/viewed at Toys-R-Us, shoes were bought. It's always interesting getting a dad's persepective on potential toys for Christmas... :)

Ava's first bite of sushi. She didn't care for any more. Oh well, more for Mommy!

Showing off her new shoes the next day.

Then and Now

This year's playing in the leaves is a bit more rambunctious!

November 2012

November 2013

Camera Roll

Miss Adventurous loves standing on the back of the couch.

Hilarious faces, while on the couch...again.

I found Ava wedged in this corner of her room, with all her books off the shelf and spread around her.

Hanging out in her trampoline.

Riding her bee in her pj's.

 

Someone fell asleep while reading to herself.



When Dad's In Charge

Fun hats and flashlights make her a happy girl!

This picture totally cracks me up!!

Ava - 18 Months Old

Happy 18 Month Birthday beautiful little lady! Actually, you turned one and half yesterday. I can NOT believe you've blessed our lives for a year and a half now. Life without our Little Miss seems like such a distant memory. Ava brings joyful smiles and prayers of thankfulness to me and Wynston daily. She is sooo smart and such a funny little thing. Here's some fun facts about Ava right now:

• Ava weighs 22-23 pounds. Her weight hasn't changed much in the past 6 months. She has grown quite a bit though, so she's losing some of her cute baby legs and belly.
• She still wears 18-24 month clothing. I LOVE buying her outfits right now and they all look so darn cute on her. She wears a size 6 shoe. Ava is especially funny when she wears her squeaky shoes, since she enjoys jumping around in them to make them squeak.
• Little Miss is a pretty good sleeper these days. About a month or two ago, we experienced some sleep regression, but those days are (thankfully) over. Ava takes two one-hour naps a day, and bedtime is 8 pm(ish) and she wakes up around 7. We recently went through Daylight Savings Time, which was obviously NOT created by someone with a small child. :)
• Ava is also a pretty good eater these days. She eats more during the day, and less at night. She has started some pickiness, but that goes in phases. She loves crackers and pretzels, and anything sweet. She also really likes the word PIZZA, and eats it pretty well too. Her all time favorite though seems to be Ice Pops. On almost any day, its the first thing she asks for in the morning.
• We have begun preliminary potty training. Ava is still in diapers (size 4), but we have purchased a potty and it has been used! Since Little Miss is so aware, and at times vocal, about her...umm...bodily functions (!), we decided to buy a potty. The plan was to just have it out, where it could be seen and talked about. However, Ava brought it upon herself to use this potty three times now; all on her own! We still have a LONG ways to go, but there's no rush since she's still so young.
• Ava talks. A LOT. Her vocabulary is pretty impressive for her age. I won't even try to list out all her words. She is now up to 3 word sentences (I got you! I want pizza! Lily go outside!). She knows LOTS of names, and has a good memory. Ava can sing part of her ABCs, Row Row Your Boat, parts of You Are My Sunshine, and a Carrie Underwood song with lots of "Ohh Ohh Ohhs" in it. She can count to 10 as well. This kid is smart! :) She will repeat back just about anything you say to her, so it's time to start being aware of our conversations when she's around.
• Little Miss is becoming more handy around the house. You can hand her items and ask her to thow them away, and she'll take them to the trash. You can ask her for a towel from the kitchen, and she'll bring you one. She understands soo much.
• Ava loves to play. She is affectionate with her stuffed animals, enjoys her play kitchen, still loves being outside, will sort and count her toys, is constantly building things with her mega blocks, and wants to watch Despicable Me several times a day. "Watch MOOBIE!" is heard around here often. She'll get the remote, hand it to you and make her request. :) Ava is also pretty fluent in her animal noises.
• Ava still has 10 teeth. We haven't had any new teeth in a LONG time. Like almost a year. This is something I'll ask the doctor about at her next checkup.
• Ava is BRAVE. She is a climber. She loves standing on the back of the couch (against the wall) and can climb into her high chair all on her own.

In honor of her one and half year day, I thought Ava should wear a cute big girl outfit yesterday. I dressed her up and took her to a Pampered Chef party, where she enjoyed playing with lots of other children. I almost died from the cuteness of her in her little leather jacket. I also wish those leggings came in my size.   :)

Waiting patiently for our Oriental Inn, which is almost a guaranteed stop when we're in my hometown.

Halloween 2013

This year, for some reason, I was dead set against spending too much time or money on Little Miss's Halloween costume. She's 17 months old, and I knew her engagement in dressing up would be limited. But we did know we wanted her to be some sort of animal who's sound she can make. After much debate, we ended up choosing a little lion for this year's costume (with a fox coming in close second, since Ava thinks a fox says "tink a tink", and is so very appropriate for current pop culture!).
Part of this decision was a quick assessment of her closet. Brown warm hoodie? Check. Leopard print dress? Check....Ya ya, I know...lions don't have leopard prints. But mine does. :) All I had to purchase for this costume was a brown and tan feather boa, which got cut into sections and tacked onto that hoodie as a mane and a tail.

So, dress + hoodie + mane + tail + a little eyeliner provided whiskers = my cute little lion! Rawr!!

Miss Kitty (Cousin Emily), Little Lion (Ava), Scary yet Stylish Zombie (Cousin Lauren)

On the run! Which is always these days.