Tracy brought little Justin over to us this morning. Before he got here, Ava and I speculated on how much he's grown and whether or not he's walking everywhere without falling down. Sure enough, he arrived with a big smile on his face, and busy little feet and hands that were up and down the house in no time!
Last weekend, she had picked out a big blue swordfish Christmas ornament at the Hallmark card shop, and as it was $10 I told her that she had to be very careful with it - that it was breakable, and that it wasn't to play with - that she'd have this ornament for the rest of her life if she took good care of it. So as soon as she was up and about this morning, one of the first things she did was put the ornament higher on the tree so Justin couldn't reach it. I hadn't mentioned anything about it to her, she just took it upon herself.
As much as she loves him, she's not used to a baby following her around and trying to grab her, so she spent a good two hours when he first got there up on the kitchen table, playing "Survivor" with her animals out of his reach. She cut a rubber band so it was a single string, then made yo-yo's out of her baby dinosaurs, first Sarah and then Little Foot. They were competing in Survivor and she made them do all kinds of tricks on the yo-yo. She had me bring in their "parents" to watch them, so I had a whole row of dinosaurs on the kitchen counter, watching across the room as their children did yo-yo tricks up on the table with Ava.
I used the time to make a pork/moose meat pie, and it was a cozy time in the kitchen - Ava standing on the table, Justin opening all the drawers and cupboards and strewing pots and pans and spatulas across the room.
Ava got down off the table, and on to a chair, to feed Justin a pudding snack - she held the spoon out and he toddled over, took a bite, and then toddled off until she called him back for another bite. She kept saying, "Justin, open your mouth, a choo-choo train is coming..."
Later, when Gaffer got home from duck hunting, she "helped" Justin open his Christmas presents - "helped" meaning that she did it for him, but he didn't mind. And then she didn't play with his toys, she just "checked them out". We gave him a little John Deere ATV to ride around on, and when Gaffer saw her riding it he said, "Isn't that a little small for you, Ava?" and she got a little embarrassed, and said, "Oh, I'm just making sure it's working right..."
He was obviously dying to take a bath - every time we went into the bathroom for any reason he bellied up to the tub, patting it with his hands and raising up and down on his feet, babbling with excitement. One time he actually got a leg over and slid right in - *thunk* So we made a bath for him after supper, and he had a blast splashing and bouncing around in the water. Ava and I sat together on her little stool by the sink, watching him. At one point, with her head on my shoulder, she sighed and said, "Oh, they grow so fast, don't they?"
She's been watching the latest "Ice Age" movie, Dawn of the Dinosaurs, where Sid the sloth finds three T-Rex eggs hatching in a cave, and then the T-Rex mother shows up to claim the babies. Ava obviously had been pondering this, and asked me, "How did those eggs get into the cave anyway? The mother can't fit in there..." I've watched that movie about 600 times now, and it never occured to me to question how those eggs got into the cave. Her little brain is always working!!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
December 12, 2009
This morning Ava said, "Gaffer thinks he's old!" and I said, "Well, he isn't - he's younger than me! I was 4 years old like you before he was even born!" And she said, "But then who fixed things before Gaffer was born?"
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
She's smart!
We were driving to Gram and Gramp's yesterday morning, both of us feeling sad that we would be saying good-bye for a whole week. I even accidentally made her cry by telling her that I make sure to brush her hair before we go to Gram's, so that Gram knows that I take good care of her. She said, "What happens if my hair is messy?" and I was JOKING and said, "Well, she might just keep you, if she thinks I don't take good care of you!" She burst into tears and hid her face under her blanket!! I felt terrible! I reassured her that of course Gram knows I take good care of her, and Gram knows that Ava always gets to come home, no matter what, even if she has messy hair...
So then we started talking about how other kids have to go to Day Care - that Ava is lucky because sometimes I work at home, and even when I go away she gets to go to Gram and Gramp's and not Day Care. I told her that some kids have to go to Day Care every day so that their parents could go to work and get money. She thought about it for a minute, then said, "Why do the parents go to work every day, because then they never have a day off to spend their money?" Her point was, why go to work at all to get money, if you never have a chance to spend it? She's just as sharp as a tack!!!
We had Bear with us, to drop off at Nannie's house, and I asked her if she wanted to be dropped off at Gram and Gramp's first, or if she wanted to go with me to drop off Bear first. She said, "I want to drop off Bear so I can spend extra time with you..." I love that kid.
So then we started talking about how other kids have to go to Day Care - that Ava is lucky because sometimes I work at home, and even when I go away she gets to go to Gram and Gramp's and not Day Care. I told her that some kids have to go to Day Care every day so that their parents could go to work and get money. She thought about it for a minute, then said, "Why do the parents go to work every day, because then they never have a day off to spend their money?" Her point was, why go to work at all to get money, if you never have a chance to spend it? She's just as sharp as a tack!!!
We had Bear with us, to drop off at Nannie's house, and I asked her if she wanted to be dropped off at Gram and Gramp's first, or if she wanted to go with me to drop off Bear first. She said, "I want to drop off Bear so I can spend extra time with you..." I love that kid.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
December 6, 2009
We got snow last night!! Woke up to blue skies and about 4" of fresh snow over everything. Ava couldn't wait to get outside with her polar bear and unicorn (because the unicorn is white, too).
After the t-shirt, underwear, long-sleeve shirt, long stockings (they go all the way up to her butt - pretty funny! She folds them in half under her knees...), play pants, snow pants, winter coat, scarf, hat, boots and mittens were on, she trekked out into the snow with a big smile on her face. I let her play in the snow on the back porch with the polar bear and unicorn while Gaffer was putting his boots on and ready to go out with her.
He took her out on the snowmobile for a few circles around the back yard - she loved it!! With her pink helmet on, she looked like a little martian sitting on the machine in front of Patrick. She had a blast, and wanted him to go fast! After the ride, she and Gaffer shoveled off the trampoline, and then she was ready to come in.
Just now, we're sitting together on the couch, watching the Patriots/Dolphins game (she's torn on who to root for - likes dolphins!!! But is loyal to the Patriots...), and eating chips and dip. Bear is lying on the couch right beside her, and she just looked down at him and said, "Oh God, I love your little black nose!"
Last night, she was sleeping with us (as usual) and about 4am I heard Patrick say, "Ava, you have to let me have some of the blanket - I'm freezing!" And then a few moments later I heard him say, "Thank you, Ava, you're so sweet!" This morning he told me that she had taken a postage stamp size piece of the blanket and pulled it over his shoulder, then patted him on the cheek, like "there, there, honey..."
Back to the football game and playing with animals on the floor.
After the t-shirt, underwear, long-sleeve shirt, long stockings (they go all the way up to her butt - pretty funny! She folds them in half under her knees...), play pants, snow pants, winter coat, scarf, hat, boots and mittens were on, she trekked out into the snow with a big smile on her face. I let her play in the snow on the back porch with the polar bear and unicorn while Gaffer was putting his boots on and ready to go out with her.
He took her out on the snowmobile for a few circles around the back yard - she loved it!! With her pink helmet on, she looked like a little martian sitting on the machine in front of Patrick. She had a blast, and wanted him to go fast! After the ride, she and Gaffer shoveled off the trampoline, and then she was ready to come in.
Just now, we're sitting together on the couch, watching the Patriots/Dolphins game (she's torn on who to root for - likes dolphins!!! But is loyal to the Patriots...), and eating chips and dip. Bear is lying on the couch right beside her, and she just looked down at him and said, "Oh God, I love your little black nose!"
Last night, she was sleeping with us (as usual) and about 4am I heard Patrick say, "Ava, you have to let me have some of the blanket - I'm freezing!" And then a few moments later I heard him say, "Thank you, Ava, you're so sweet!" This morning he told me that she had taken a postage stamp size piece of the blanket and pulled it over his shoulder, then patted him on the cheek, like "there, there, honey..."
Back to the football game and playing with animals on the floor.
Monday, November 30, 2009
November 30, 2009
Ava got her first kitchen burn this afternoon - cooking her own scrambled eggs. She loves to cook, and is great at cracking open eggs! Never gets any shell into the eggs in the bowl, and she's really proud of that. She's been making her own scrambled eggs (under supervision) for a few months now, and so when she decided that's what she wanted for supper tonight, she said, "I'll make them!!!"
It happened just as I was pouring the mixed egg into her little frying pan - she has her own one-egg pan - she reached out to pull the pan closer to her, by the side instead of the handle, and it had been heating up on medium. She quickly pulled her hand away, and at first I didn't think she had made contact, but then after a few seconds she began to tell me that it hurt, and then the tears came.
Sure enough, the skin on her left ring finger between the nail and the knuckle was all red, with a little whitish stripe where the edge of the pan had touched the skin. Not sure how that particular finger had been the one to get burned! We put a bag of frozen veggies on it while we dug out the Bactine. I told her that this happens to everyone that cooks (I happened to have three places on my hands where, between the woodstove and Thanksgiving, I have burns!), and that she was a very good cook and very brave. She looked up at me with tears rolling down her cheeks and said, "But I'm just a little kid and I'm not very brave when I get hurt..."
It happened just as I was pouring the mixed egg into her little frying pan - she has her own one-egg pan - she reached out to pull the pan closer to her, by the side instead of the handle, and it had been heating up on medium. She quickly pulled her hand away, and at first I didn't think she had made contact, but then after a few seconds she began to tell me that it hurt, and then the tears came.
Sure enough, the skin on her left ring finger between the nail and the knuckle was all red, with a little whitish stripe where the edge of the pan had touched the skin. Not sure how that particular finger had been the one to get burned! We put a bag of frozen veggies on it while we dug out the Bactine. I told her that this happens to everyone that cooks (I happened to have three places on my hands where, between the woodstove and Thanksgiving, I have burns!), and that she was a very good cook and very brave. She looked up at me with tears rolling down her cheeks and said, "But I'm just a little kid and I'm not very brave when I get hurt..."
Friday, November 27, 2009
November 25, 2009
Ava and I got our hair cut today. What was amazing to me is that I've been to Bubba's many times and Ava's been there once. And who does everyone remember?
So I got my hair cut first, and Ava sat on my lap while my hair was washed and while it was being cut. Then her hairdresser was ready for her, and Ava got right down from my lap and went over to the sinks like a big girl. Her hairdresser was young and pretty - looked like one of Kerry's friends - so Ava took to her right away. It took two booster seats to get her high enough to reach the sinks, but she climbed right up and let her hair be washed - I could hear them chit-chatting from where I was sitting - Ava was telling her that she knows how to take showers...
Then she followed her hairdresser over to the salon chair - it was diagonal from where I was getting my hair cut, so I could see her but she couldn't see me. Full of self-confidence, she got up into the chair, allowed herself to be draped with the cape, and followed directions as far as "tilt your head up" or "look down" - she sat as still as stone other than to comply with instructions.
Haircut #2 - I was very proud of her, and she was very proud of herself too!!
So I got my hair cut first, and Ava sat on my lap while my hair was washed and while it was being cut. Then her hairdresser was ready for her, and Ava got right down from my lap and went over to the sinks like a big girl. Her hairdresser was young and pretty - looked like one of Kerry's friends - so Ava took to her right away. It took two booster seats to get her high enough to reach the sinks, but she climbed right up and let her hair be washed - I could hear them chit-chatting from where I was sitting - Ava was telling her that she knows how to take showers...
Then she followed her hairdresser over to the salon chair - it was diagonal from where I was getting my hair cut, so I could see her but she couldn't see me. Full of self-confidence, she got up into the chair, allowed herself to be draped with the cape, and followed directions as far as "tilt your head up" or "look down" - she sat as still as stone other than to comply with instructions.
Haircut #2 - I was very proud of her, and she was very proud of herself too!!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The Rainbow
We went to Walmart at Cook's Corner yesterday (11/24/09). It was a cold day, with a weird kind of frozen mist in the air - you could feel the little tiny stinging of icy particles on your face. The sky was mostly overcast, but every now and then some blue was visible and it would brighten. As we were parking the truck, Gaffer pointed out the rainbow in the sky, and Ava was fascinated!! She leaned forward in her car seat to look at it through the windshield, and kept saying "Oh my God! I've never seen a rainbow before!!" Her face was just radiant!! When we had her out on the ground, and Gaffer leaned over to zip up her sweater, she was still trying to look at it, and impatiently said, "Gaffer, I CAN'T SEE the rainbow because your hat is in the way!!"
Sunday, November 22, 2009
November 22, 2009
Today I showed Ava a picture of Gaffer, when he was young and had lots of curly hair coming out from under his ball cap. The picture was of Gaffer fly-fishing, circa 1996, and she said she recognized his face - but then she said that she likes the way he looks now better!
She decided she wanted to have a grizzly bear today, so we went to the toy store in Freeport and got the Mother and Baby Grizzly. Then Gaffer waited in the truck while Ava and I did some quick Christmas shopping at Abercrombie & Fitch - she played with her grizzlies while I shopped. Later we went to lunch at Gritty's, and she had fun coloring the menu, but pooped out without eating anything. She's still running a low-grade fever, but is cheerful and talkative. She pays attention to everything we say, and often has a very insightful comment on the topic.
She was proud of herself this morning - fed the dogs herself (scooped out the right amount of food for each dog) and made Heidi "SIT" while she put the food in her bowl. Then she said, "GO" and Heidi jumped up and ran for her bowl. Ava was a good dog trainer today!
She helped me make the bed - I did Gaffer's side and she did my side - pulled the sheet, wool blanket, and comforter to the right place - a big help as I didn't have to go over to that side of the bed!
She decided she wanted to have a grizzly bear today, so we went to the toy store in Freeport and got the Mother and Baby Grizzly. Then Gaffer waited in the truck while Ava and I did some quick Christmas shopping at Abercrombie & Fitch - she played with her grizzlies while I shopped. Later we went to lunch at Gritty's, and she had fun coloring the menu, but pooped out without eating anything. She's still running a low-grade fever, but is cheerful and talkative. She pays attention to everything we say, and often has a very insightful comment on the topic.
She was proud of herself this morning - fed the dogs herself (scooped out the right amount of food for each dog) and made Heidi "SIT" while she put the food in her bowl. Then she said, "GO" and Heidi jumped up and ran for her bowl. Ava was a good dog trainer today!
She helped me make the bed - I did Gaffer's side and she did my side - pulled the sheet, wool blanket, and comforter to the right place - a big help as I didn't have to go over to that side of the bed!
November 20, 2009
So Ava came to our bed at around 1am like she always does, and she woke me at 7am, stroking my face with her soft little hand - I opened my eyes to see her beautiful face smiling at me from about 3" away. Then we started talking, with our heads still on the pillows, and somehow it came around to family - all of her uncles - and we counted how many of them were pilots (3). She said, "I love Uncle Steve", and I said, "I do, too - he's my brother, just like you have a brother - Justin!" Then I said, "And Aunt Brenda is my sister - but you don't have a sister..." She was quiet for a minute, then said, "Hellooooo... you always share with me...." Which made me burst out laughing - "You mean you want me to share my sister with you???" She closed her eyes, got a smug little smile, and nodded. So now Aunt Brenda has another sister!
Then, with our heads still on the pillows, she said, "I'm getting hungry..." I asked her what she wanted for breakfast, and she said, "You know, the cereal that we can make cookies with, except we're not making cookies, we're putting it in a bowl..." Rice Krispies it is!
She had been looking forward to Jennifer and Andrew taking us to Bradbury Mountain, but then we found out Craig was coming, too (Andrew's best friend), and then she wasn't so happy about going, especially when she found out she'd be sitting in the back seat between the two eight-year-olds. And she had a right to be nervous - they had her in tears on the ride by tossing her teddy bear between the two of them...
When we got there, they charged up the mountain even though she asked them to wait for her, and they wouldn't... So she got pretty grumpy about the whole thing - wouldn't let me take her picture with them at the summit, wouldn't walk down by herself so I had to carry her... When we got to the picnic area, she wouldn't eat with us - sat on a nearby stump with her hood pulled down over her head, hiding from us. A little boy toddled over and started poking at her - I don't think he knew what she was!! Jennifer and I were cracking up - poor Ava.
She did rouse herself enough to go on the swings for a while, and a time or two down the slides, but she really wanted to go home, so we gathered up the wild boys and hit the road. I started to worry that she wasn't feeling well, because she's never grumpy like that without a reason. Sure enough, as soon as we got home she put herself to sleep watching Ice Age 3 on the DVD player in her room.
When she woke up, I noticed that her tongue and inside of her cheeks were covered with sores - she breaks out in mouth sores whenever she gets stressed out. I think the ordeal Thursday of Nannie picking her up at Gram and Gramp's (she was scared to go with Nannie, until of course she was with Nannie) to pick me up at the airport, and then she was upset about the day with Andrew and Craig - a couple of days of stress = mouth sores. I started her on some strawberry-flavored tylenol.
She had a hard time settling down to sleep, and finally gave it up about 10:30, tucked in between Gaffer and me in our bed. She started crying around 2am, and was hot. I took her into the bathroom - her temp was almost 101, so we did some more tylenol, had a drink of water, went pee, and got some cold juice to take back to bed, and she slept well until almost 9 on Sunday morning.
Then, with our heads still on the pillows, she said, "I'm getting hungry..." I asked her what she wanted for breakfast, and she said, "You know, the cereal that we can make cookies with, except we're not making cookies, we're putting it in a bowl..." Rice Krispies it is!
She had been looking forward to Jennifer and Andrew taking us to Bradbury Mountain, but then we found out Craig was coming, too (Andrew's best friend), and then she wasn't so happy about going, especially when she found out she'd be sitting in the back seat between the two eight-year-olds. And she had a right to be nervous - they had her in tears on the ride by tossing her teddy bear between the two of them...
When we got there, they charged up the mountain even though she asked them to wait for her, and they wouldn't... So she got pretty grumpy about the whole thing - wouldn't let me take her picture with them at the summit, wouldn't walk down by herself so I had to carry her... When we got to the picnic area, she wouldn't eat with us - sat on a nearby stump with her hood pulled down over her head, hiding from us. A little boy toddled over and started poking at her - I don't think he knew what she was!! Jennifer and I were cracking up - poor Ava.
She did rouse herself enough to go on the swings for a while, and a time or two down the slides, but she really wanted to go home, so we gathered up the wild boys and hit the road. I started to worry that she wasn't feeling well, because she's never grumpy like that without a reason. Sure enough, as soon as we got home she put herself to sleep watching Ice Age 3 on the DVD player in her room.
When she woke up, I noticed that her tongue and inside of her cheeks were covered with sores - she breaks out in mouth sores whenever she gets stressed out. I think the ordeal Thursday of Nannie picking her up at Gram and Gramp's (she was scared to go with Nannie, until of course she was with Nannie) to pick me up at the airport, and then she was upset about the day with Andrew and Craig - a couple of days of stress = mouth sores. I started her on some strawberry-flavored tylenol.
She had a hard time settling down to sleep, and finally gave it up about 10:30, tucked in between Gaffer and me in our bed. She started crying around 2am, and was hot. I took her into the bathroom - her temp was almost 101, so we did some more tylenol, had a drink of water, went pee, and got some cold juice to take back to bed, and she slept well until almost 9 on Sunday morning.
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