Sunday, July 29, 2012

AVA'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Ava had a great birthday weekend. We kicked it off on Friday morning by having a full fledged temper tantrum because her ponytail was too tight. The terrific 3's...I think someone warned me about this - the terrible 2's are nothing compared to the terrific 3's...say it isn't so!!! 
Friday night, Ava went with Ann and Danelle to see the play "Cinderella" in Conroe...she loved it!!! I wish I could have gone to see her reaction but I didn't plan ahead to leave Jaina with Daddy. All she talks about now is Cinderella, the step sisters and the handsome prince. :)

Saturday was her party and all she wanted was a chocolate cake with candy sprinkles! True to the Panamanian tradition, Yvonne smeared a little bit of frosting on her cheek after we sang "Happy Birthday." She loved her party and all of her presents. Thank you to all who came and made her day so special.
She ended the day by talking to Uncle Lyle on Facetime...she loves her princess stuff.
Today we played with birthday presents and ate leftovers...


AVA MARIE :: 3 YEARS {20 QUESTIONS}

  1. What is your favorite color?  Purple.
  2. What is your favorite toy? Princesses.
  3. What do you like to eat for breakfast? Cereal with milk on it.
  4. What do you like to do outside?  Shovel! With dirt!
  5. What's your favorite animal?  Horses and lions.
  6. What do you like to wear?  Dresses!
  7. Who is your best friend? Brooklyn.
  8. What do you like for a snack? Fruit things. 
  9. What is your favorite song? Jesus Loves the Little Children.
  10. What do you sleep with?  My baby and my blanket.
  11. What is your favorite book? Charlie the Ranch Dog.
  12. What is your favorite kind of ice cream? the blue cotton kind.
  13. What is your favorite vegetable?  Tomatoes and peppers and red peppers and green peppers and red peppers and more peppers and blue peppers.
  14. What is your favorite fruit? Orange.
  15. What is your favorite place to go?  Chick-fil-A!!!
  16. What is your favorite thing to do?  Play with toys.
  17. What do you want to be when you grow up? An artist.
  18. What is your favorite thing to eat? Chicken! and meat and hotdogs and meat and Chick-fil-A and chicken nuggets!
  19. Why do you love Mommy and Daddy?  Because I'm so graceful.
  20. What do you want for your birthday? I want chocolate birthday cake with candy sprinkles.

FIRST PONYTAIL

Ava  - 9 weeks                                      Jaina - 8 weeks

Friday, July 27, 2012

AVA: 3 YEARS


  • 28 lbs  (25%)
  • 37 inches  (50%)
  • head size: 18.5 cm 

DEAR AVA {3RD BIRTHDAY}

Happy 3rd Birthday! Daddy and I love you more than you will ever know. You've changed our lives for the better...you bring us so much joy...and you're our greatest challenge. :) You act like you're 3 going on 13 and I forget that you're still just a little girl. I wish you could stay little forever...but you can't...so I'll just write a few things so that I can look back on this years from now and remember what a precious little girl you were. 
You love to sing..and dance...you do it all day long.
You love dresses...first thing every morning - you put on a dress.
You love to make friends. It doesn't matter who they are, their age or what they look like - you love to make friends. (Like at the mall the other day when you chased a girl around the play area asking her what her name was until she told you and you both played like best friends for hours and gathered as many kids as you could to play with you. You melt my heart.) 
Princesses...they are your life right now. 
You're tenderhearted. When mommy cries, you cry and wipe my tears. 
Sometimes you can be a real challenge to deal with but you still manage to be cute.
To you, everything is "beautiful!"
You're a social butterfly. :) Talk, talk and talk some more.
You'll ask any random person what their name is and tell them something about yourself. 
You've learned how to manipulate and you're oh so good at it! You sure know how to get what you want!
You've got an attitude..and a little temper...you probably get that from your mommy. :)
You'd rather just wear your hair down and in your eyes. 
Shopping...you love shopping. 
You've got an amazing memory...better than ours most of the time! 
You love art projects..coloring, painting, drawing...
You don't like to be alone...you want us to sit with you, eat with you, play with you, talk to you, paint with you...
You're little miss independent and you aim to please..."Can I do it?"
I think you've got the "firstborn perfectionist syndrome." :)
Energy...oh boy do you have energy!!
The list goes on...I want to cherish every day that I have with you ...I want the best for you. I long for you to have a life full of love and joy...I wish I could just keep you small and hold you forever. 

Sunday, July 22, 2012

POTTY TRAINING FINALE

We've been pretty chill about the whole potty training thing in this house and I'm OK with it. We tried when Ava turned 2 but she just wasn't into it. At 2 1/2 we tried again and we've only had 2 accidents since then. She's continued wearing a pull-up for her nap up until a couple of weeks ago and last night (because she's been waking up dry for a couple of weeks) we finally took the plunge....  her first night with no pull-up!!! Yay! We got it done before her 3rd birthday on Friday! :)

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

A POEM

Give me patience when little hands
Tug at me with ceaseless, small demands.
Give me gentle words and smiling eyes,
To keep my lips from hasty, sharp replies.
Let not fatigue, confusion or noise
Obscure my vision of life's fleeting joys
So when in years to come my house is still,
Beautiful memories its rooms may fill.
                                   ~ Unknown

I FOUND HER HERE...

in her own little world.

SUNDAY EVENING

We braved the sweaty (and I don't use the word "sweaty" lightly) outdoors on Sunday evening to let Ava run off some energy at the park. I'm slowly beginning to see good things and think happy thoughts about TX. :)  



Monday, July 16, 2012

TODAY

Ava and I were painting this morning....
"Mom, can you paint a cow?"
"Oh, I don't know how to paint a cow."
"Yeah, you just do eyes and milking things."
"Milking things?"
"Yeah, you just do it like this (starts "milking" a cow with her hands). You just squeeze them like this and pull it and get milk in the bucket and you just do it like this." 

(Thank you cow milking app for teaching my daughter how to milk a cow.)
                                                                                                 
Donald: "Hey, next time you see the plumber out plumbing, can you stop and see if he'll mow our lawn?"
Jenny: "Yes dear..."


Translation: We need some lawn maintenance.
_____________________________________________________
Ava has imaginary friends. If you see her walking around with her arms away from her body and her hands in tight little fists...she's holding hands and having chats with Strawberry Shortcake and Lemon Meringue 

Thursday, July 12, 2012

SHE LOVES LOTION

This is where Ava and I have our best conversations. Sitting in the easy chair, feeding Jaina, legs up and Ava rubbing them with lotion. We talk about the most interesting things. For example, did you know that cockroaches eat worms? Yeah, neither did I. :)
I cherish these moments.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

SUNDAY DRIVE

 We found ourselves driving west on Sunday afternoon...it was fun to get out and see a bit of the countryside. 
Destination: Montgomery, TX - Birthplace of the Texas Flag
...points of interest - loads of antiques, history, history and more history, cowboys, confederate flags and Starbucks. :)

JAINA: 1 MONTH

Jaina Mae 7.1.2012
  • 12 lbs 2.5 oz
  • 23.5 inches long
  • Head: 15.5 cm
  • Smiles - on purpose :)
  • Drools everywhere
  • Started "talking" - we have great conversations :)
  • Rolled over from front to back...on accident? She won't do it again. 
  • Clavicle is still healing
  • First chiro appointment on 7.9.12
  • Found her sucking her thumb this morning...will not take a pacifier.
  • Sleeps great during the day...not so much at night :(
  • Loves to be held...all. the. time.

First smile caught on camera :)

 



WHY WHAT!?

"Mommy, can you get me some raisins?"
"No Ava, not right now."
"Why can you can't?"


"Is the water done Mommy?"
"No, not yet."
"Why is it isn't?"


"Did Karin and Karla come to my house today?"
"Nope, not today."
"Why did they didn't?"

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

DREAMS

"Ava, do you have dreams at night?"
"What are dreams, Daddy?"
"They're like pictures that you see in your head at night. Do you have pictures in your head?"
"No, I hear music in my head."

So...That explains the constant singing. :)