Rock-a-bye......Bammy?!????

Ok, so Ava is at the age where it's definitely hit or miss if she wants to talk to you on the phone or not. If she does it's usually short because she is a busy lady with a lot goin' on!!! Well, the other day Bammy (my mom) hit the jackpot on getting Ava to chit chat. However, it was a HILARIOUS sight to behold the HOUR long conversation between them. Specifically because she actually believed that Bammy was at our house. So literally the phone was on speaker & Ava was all over the house telling her all about everything she was doing. She was also rocking her to "sleep" and changing SEVERAL diapers because...Bammy had "Eeewwee, stinky poopie" like 5 times. Then lots of tee tees, (poor Bammy!) Finally when Ava decided it was time to take Bammy outside (see stroller pics) we had to cut it off for dinner. While doing all of this Miss A had on an ill-fitting onesis (I don't have but one or two left floating around & with shorts it looked fine, without...not so much!) She also got into some stickers her friend Delanie sent her and stuck them all over her and the phone because "Bammy needed stickers" Where do their little minds come up with all this?

Note the phone on the left, she's telling Bammy about her stickers, prior to this pic she was throwing balls down the hall "with" Bammy then lining them next to the phone showing them all to her.

On the move to the next room, yes Bammy needed a diaper for this.

Singing Rock-a-bye Bammy...

Time for a diaper change! Her doll was fine, it was Bammy that was "Eeeeww diirrrttyy!"

Ahhhh givin' Bammy hugs

Yep, you guessed it. ANOTHER diaper change (each time, new diaper) they were everywhere

Diaper change number...ugh...not even sure what number we were at this point!

More sweet hugs

Time for a walk...for some goofy reason, Ava always puts this random cup holder in the stroller and this day...BAMMY in a diaper! The best is that they were talking so coming out of this diaper is my mom talking to Ava!

Strike Three...We're OUT

Sooo this past Monday started off like the previous two: had breakfast, watched some cartoons, got ready for dance class and...looked ADORABLE. Ava was running around acting so excited for dance class & kept saying "Ava No Cry at Dance Class...Ava see Miss NeeCole" so I thought, third time will be the charm...I thought.

We get there and right when we walk in there's a one month old crying in the waiting room. Crying babes always "stress" out my girl so I saw her looking around nervously and NOT leaving my lap. When the door opens to the studio Miss Nicole comes out and Ava grabs her tap shoes and goes right to Nicole, BUT another little girl starts crying which in turn makes Miss A start crying and she turns to RUN toward me. Nicole scoops her and the other girl Avery up and goes into the studio. Me and Avery's mom were cracking up because one of them would stop then the other would start. Needless to say, since Nicole had no assistant that day she brought the two drama queens out a few minutes later. Ava stopped crying almost immediately and we decided to call it a day after that. Her last class is next Monday but I think we'll cut our losses and skip! I signed us up for "Mommy & Me" dance in August so we'll do that for a few months to get her more comfortable.

Dance Class, Dance Class (Take 2)

Monday was Dance class day and this time Daddy was taking Miss Ava since I had an appointment. We had prepped her starting a few days before, Nicole came and tried her tap shoes on her and worked on some "moves", we all talked about how we would "hand" her off to Nicole at the door etc... it all worked...for about 40 minutes BUT it worked! :o) Last week was not even 10 minutes so we're gettin' there! Bryan left me a voicemail at 10:30AM saying she was in and out of Nicole's arms but she was doing it so I rushed up there and saw her do a little but the "two way glass" isn't totally a blocker so they walked by the window and I think Ava saw and and really started whaling. We watched the rest of class through the window in the waiting ares :o( *I signed us up for Mommy and Me in August so we'll do a few months together which will get her more comfortable with the studio etc... and I'm really excited! I couldn't get her to sit still so here's a few shots before class:

Goin' Bananas!!!!!

My sweet neighbor across the street Nicole & I are always looking for fun new things to do with the girl's. Her daughter Sophie & Ava are great buds (Nicole's also Ava's dance teacher and she's recently been working wedding's with me on weekends!!!) We heard about a place called Goin' Bananas right by our house so decided to check it out. Of course my camera was almost dead so didn't get many good pics (& it's hard to take a clear photo in a Moon bounce) The place is great however once it got crowded it was a little daunting for the little girls around all the "big" kids (&us mom's who were IN the moon bounces were getting trampled as well!) *Poor Ava, once we got home Bryan noticed she seemed hot, I thought it was from playing but after her nap we took her temp and she had a bug! Poor girl, by Sat had close to 103 but kicked it by Sun AM :o)

That's little Sophie on the bottom left!

BIG girl had to do the slide "all by herself!"

Miss Nicole's going to LOVE that I posted this one! :o)

Makin' (deceptive) Muffins

I am ADDICTED to Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious" recipe book. I've made TONS of the recipes. Basically you "hide" pureed veggies in regular meals and desserts. Ava's been a bit pickier on eating lately so it's great to know she's getting veggies and she doesn't even know it! (When making the purees I feel like I'm making her baby food again!) We made some Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes that were UNBELIEVABLE that had Yellow Squash in the batter and Beets in the filling! Bryan and I were fighting over the last one, they were awesome and you didn't taste any veggies. Below we were making the Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins (with Sweet Potatoes)...

Funny Little Girl

Today when Ava and I were driving to her nanny's I was showing her different shapes. She loves to point our triangles & diamonds, she's working on squares and rectangles and LOVES to yell "H!" when she sees the blue H for hospitals in the area. Anyway, as we drove I was at a stop sign and said "Look Ava, octagon" she looked and said "Opt-cagon" :o) We drove more and pointed to other stop signs and she started to catch on. As we were almost there she asked to hold her beloved "Tee" monkey. She was hugging on him in the back and we stopped at a stop sign. All of a sudden she yells out "Look Tee Look! Octopus!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Love it.

Thursday, 7.3.08 BIG DAY, start to a long, fabulous, relaxing Farm & Family weekend!

Thursday, July 3rd started off fantastic! Ava and I packed up the car early to make a pit stop before heading out of Austin to the farm. Bryan was working in Houston and meeting us out there on Friday. I got a call last week that there was a spot open in a pre-school we had considered for Ava in the Fall. For those that do not know...get on a waiting list EARLY for a good school! We have been on three since March and only heard back from one with an opening for the FALL. To make a long story short, it was a fluke that this school called me as I haven't had contact with them in months, but the Big Guy upstairs has a plan and after a lot of prayers, they were answered. We toured the school on this sunny afternoon with the Director and fell in love! They have all the philosophies we want, they are Christian based (it's a church school) which we love and to top it off, Ava's BFF Sophie is attending the same school! This is great for the girls and wonderful for the parent's since we can carpool sometimes to and from. Ava will be with sweet Shannon & Zaidan through August then after a family vaca in Sept she'll start "school" three half-days a week. I know it will be hard for mama & daddy the first few days but I feel 100% confident this was God's plan for Ava's school and he had us wait for a reason.

After the tour we headed to The Rossi Ranch and the fun began... As you'll see from these next few posts, we are very lucky to have a family vacation spot to call home one hour from Austin but a WORLD away from reality!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was taken about 10 minutes after we arrived. Ava told Bammy she was "wearin' a cowboy" ( meaning the hat) and it was raining outside so we sat on the porch watching the rain (and Ava) then stomped the puddles once it subsided. Just good 'ole country fun!

My dad's horse King...NOTE: I am not at all a horse fan. Was when I was little, then had an "incident" and not so much anymore. They say horses can sense fear and uneasiness (both of which I was FILLED with) and I swear this dude did not take his eyes off me the entire time my mom, dad and Ava were petting him. I never moved, didn't speak to King or touch him and the dang horse just stared me down... he's got it out for me, I know it.

My mom's horse Buddy on the left. King (the mean one, hee hee!) on the right (yes, staring me DOWN!)

Echo, our only remaining Llama :o( We started with Echo and Charlie Brown. Years ago Charlie took a turn for the worse and became absolutely NUTS (and mean) so he had to go. But Echo was bred and she had a BEAUTIFUL baby girl Llama with clear blue eyes (very rare) we named Holly, both we've had for many years. Last weekend my mom found Holly had passed. We don't know what from but Miss Echo seems a bit depressed. Maybe Mama Rossi will find her a friend?!?!

Out Four miniature donkeys, they are super sweet, so cute and a bit over-weight at the time :o) The one you can hardly see on the far left is Selena (I think, I get so confused on some of them), the next over is Cha-Chi (Cole's) then Autumn (the white paint) is Ava's and the one on the far right is Margarita (Carter's).

We were on a long golf cart ride on the land then went down the main road to check on our bull my parent's have on our neighbor's place. Ava loves to jump out and run down the road. Needless to say, we don't have to worry about traffic out here!

Bammy, Ava and our bull (newly named by Yours Truly) Ricky Williams. This bull is huge and sooo stocky and his hair on his head is all crazy and curly & looks like Ricky when he played for UT. Yes, sounds very strange but meet the bull and you will agree fo sho!

July 4th 2008 "Happy Birthday America!"

This was the theme of Friday and it was sung throughout the weekend. Ever since Ava's birthday in JUNE she loves to sing Happy Birthday. On Friday when we were hanging out at the farm and prepping her for Papa's big "concert" in Shiner, we told her about the 4th of July and what it meant. Later, at the dance, my dad's band "The Moods" started their show singing "Happy Birthday America" Ava, (who was running circles on the dance floor), thought it was all for her. ADORABLE.

Making pancakes

Early morning swim after a big breakfast. COLD pool but she didn't seem to mind

Later it was time to strip down and play in the living room with her tractor

Then once I got her dresses...back in the water of course! Well in this case, back in the barrel :o)

Givin' Papa a big hug before the show started

Ava literally ran in big circles on the dance floor for about 30 minutes straight. Once it got too crowded we had to take some walks outside then she slowed way, way down very fast after all the running. Everyone was watching this little bit of a lady on that big dance floor, so sweet.

My mom, Ava and her first cousin sweet Elaine

Papa did a solo for his girl and Ava ate it up!

Mama Rossi and her sister Shirley

Me & my cousin Ashley

This was at 11:15PM...yes we were still at the dance and she was O.U.T.! The music was so loud and she was passed from Ashley (seen here) then Bammy, me then daddy and never moved. Groaned a little getting in the car, was silent the whole way home and when I changed her. We laid her down around 12:25AM!!!! LATE NIGHT OUT!