Getting in Gear

Well, I haven't been blogging much lately - partly because if I get on to blog then I get lost in reading everyone else's blogs...which of course I LOVE DOING, but I find I am wasting a lot of time that I could be doing something else (um, things that I HAVE to do...and not as much fun of course!). And especially if I am checking blogs during my plan time at work, LOL! =) Anyway, I have always used my blog to help me keep track and journal our daily lives which in turn helps me with my scrapbook. BUT...the idea of actually turning my blog INTO my scrapbook is sounding more and more intriguing as the months fly by and Ava is still only 6 months old in her scrapbook - and she is *ALMOST* 2 and a HALF! So, I thought to myself well, if I'm going to plan to do that, then I better get some blogging done! =) I even have digital scrapbooking software but it still is time consuming AND you have to be in a scrapping kind of mood, so apparently it's not helping me. ha!

This post is going to be kind of random but of course, those simple small things that we do each day really are the BIG things in life, aren't they??????? These are also pics from my phone and of course I have loads more (I'll get to those someday!) but since I'm (SHHHHHHHHHHHH) blogging on my lunch/plan break, these are what I have to work with. teeeeheeee! My goal is to get back into doing more structured posts of actual events etc.

This is a pic of Ava at our local Hobby Lobby. One evening Ava and I took my good friend Nanci out to dinner and then we did a little shopping. Nanci often times watches Ava for us if we have mommy/daddy plans. We've been friends since college and she will NOT let us pay her!

Last week (ish), poor Miss Ava got the flu for the very first time. Yes, the vomiting flu. YUCK. Not fun for anyone. Now, obviously things are going to get passed around at the daycare, but one of the little girls apparently vomited at 4:30 on a Wednesday afternoon and went back THE.NEXT.DAY! Well, no wonder. Ava got it - along with EVERY SINGLE CHILD at daycare, the daycare provider, her daughter and lots of mommies and daddies (including me.). Boo. Here ishe is recovering. Sweet little thing. She didn't quite understand the whole throwing up thing. I think she must have thought we were saying "poop" instead of "puke" because later she said something to the effect of "I pooped in my bed." LOL

This is a picture of her helping me out at my school preparing for the start of the school year. If you can see the partial image on the Smart Board in the background, yep, that is Dora's torso. And on the table is her "lemon-dade" and popcorn. No wonder she keeps asking if we can go to my school now! :)

This is a picture of Ava while we were waiting at the airport here in town waiting on my sister and my nephew Jackson to arrive from North Carolina. They went on vacation and actually made the drive down there (my sister, bro-in-law and 2 nieces as well) but then my sister and J made the trip back via plane! :)

Watching their plane land!...

Every day when I pick Ava up from Miss Lisa's (if she isn't upset because we have to leave), then she asks if we can go to the park. This girl LOVES being outside. This was taken before school started. It stinks because we usually can't just go to the park right then because we need to get home for dinner etc. but we will also go outside to play at home and I try to make a quick trip to the park when we can. The problem with that is that then she doesn't want to leave! :) The crying is usually short lived, though!

She is so much fun right now (as usual, right!?). She is constantly cracking us up. Funny things

she has said lately...

• "Can you open the garage sale so I can play?" bahahaha! Her toys are in the garage and we all know her mommy loves her a garage sale! I guess she got the 2 mixed up.
• "Actually............" Her new favorite word is actually. One day at Jewel, she asked me what this thing up on the wall was. When I told her it was leaves, she said "Actually, it's a flower." Well, ok then! Now all of the sudden that is her favorite word.
• This one cracked me up...Me: Well, I better take a shower. Ava: Well, I better watch a Dora. Nice try little one!
• "I have Cheetos in my butt." No, I am not proud of this one but apparently she had Cheetos at Miss Lisa's as part of her lunch and then when she pooped she said this statement. Travis and I about died! I mean, how does she even know to say that???
• She is also repeating things I say a lot. For example, "Wait a second! I think I forgot something!" hahaha!
• While she used to be deathly (screaming) afraid of bugs, now they are "cute little baby bugs!!!" Crack me up.
• She can also recite her ABC's perfectly and count pretty well (sometimes up to 15)...when she wants to, of course.
• She is learning a lot at Miss Lisa's who does preschool daily and one night while we were saying our prayers she then breaks out with the Pledge of Allegiance! I was dying. I think she initally said "indivisible" and I was like "Oh, you want to say the Pledge of Allegiance!" She doesn't have it fully memorized...yet, but I'm sure she will soon.
• The other funny thing about that story was she kept saying "Here's your chocolate chip!" so I asked Lisa and she said they all get a chocolate chip after play time and before they start Preschool time.

She continues to be such a sweet little girl and is very sensitive and compassionate. She is always asking if you are ok, or "are you tired?" if you yawn. She takes care of her babies very well and is always making sure they are ok. We love you, Ava!