The Princess and The Frog...

Ava is pretty used to Mike going on business trips. She doesn't pay it much attention. Well, this Sunday I had to fly up to San Francisco for an overnight business trip. We get her up Sunday morning and tell her mommy is going on a business trip and that she and Daddy will be taking me to the airport. We put her in the car, we put the suitcase in the back seat with her. The following conversation takes place:

Ava: That's a big suitcase Mama

Me: Yes...it sure is

Ava: I can fit inside Mama?

Me: No...honey...you can't fit inside.

Ava: Oh

A few minutes goes by she's singing to herself in the backseat and then:

Ava: I like business trips Mama

Me: Oh really?

Ava: Yep.

At this point I know where she's going. She's gonna ask to come. So we get to airport and I'm getting out of the car and she starts howling "I LOVE BUSINESS TRIPS MAMA. I WANNA GO ON A BUSINESS TRIP!!!"

I felt so bad. Mike said she was fine after a few minutes and I know she's not damaged or anything but I felt bad because she has no idea what or where a business trip is but she just knows that she wants to go with her mama. Bless her heart. So I told her I would bring her back a special present. To which I hear, "Oh I liiiiikkkkkeeee special presents." Haha...so here she is wearing her new special present...

So right out of bed she's got the hat on, she's holding on to the ties and jumping up and and down the hall going "Ribbit, Ribbit...Mama I a frog!" Every time I watch her do stuff like that I think of that Trace Atkins song, "You're Gonna Miss This" because God knows I am...

Big Steps

Okay...so I know I'm horrible at keeping this blog updated. I've kind of been being lazy and doing everything through Facebook, but there's some seriously funny stuff that I can't put on there so I think I'm going to give the blog a go again.

I just realized that my last post was in June and I was talking about pottytraining. It can't be possible that 5 months later we are still pottytraining, can it? Oh yes...it can. She's got #1 down like a pro. The other # isn't going as smoothly. She's been hiding behind her easel and yelling, "I OK MOM!" This roughly translates to, "Leave me alone mom because I know what I'm doing right now and I know I'm supposed to be doing it in the bathroom but if I tell you I'm OK then maybe you won't find out."

I'm pretty open with what I share about parenthood. I'll tell my friends all the gory details. I'm a TMI mom because I so wish someone would have warned me about certain things. Here are a few things I've learned about potty training:

1. It's a process, not an event.
2. Kids are fascinated with watching themselves go. That pee-pee shield should be left on the potty training chair even if you have a girl. TRUST ME!
3. Your child will want to visit every public restroom possible and touch everything in it. Ava now chants 3 times "Don't touch anything, Don't touch anything, Don't touch anything" every time we walk into a public restroom.
4. It takes a minimum of three toilet sheet covers in a public restroom to adequately cover the seat before they get on it. One over the top and one on each side for where they hold on.
5. Sometimes the training panties aren't worth washing...throw them away and buy a new pair.
6. When kids say they have to "go" it means one of two things 1) They've already gone or 2) They are in the process of going

I remember when I couldn't wait for her to be out of diapers. Now diapers kind of seem easier. Getting out the door is an event...trying to coax her to pee before we get in the car. We recently had to stop at a 7-Eleven bathroom because she had to go and man...I would so much rather have let her pee on the side of the road in traffic. It was that bad. I wanted to dip her in Purel at the end of it.

The other exciting thing going on is that we moved her to a big girl bed. Mike and I are on the fence....hmmm...I'm on the fence on whether or not to have another child. But I have to admit, when we got her bed and took her crib apart and started putting it in the garage I cried. Not just little tears...BIG, FAT tears. I love the age she's at now. I really do...if I could freeze this age I would. But I also miss the small, squishy age. And putting her crib away was like saying goodbye to my baby. But she LOVES her big girl bed. It was a completely smooth transition. She didn't wake up at night, she didn't have trouble going to bed and she hasn't tried to get out and roam around. It was a non-event to her. But that's her...she embraces change and just rolls with it.

Yay for Potty-training

We've been potty-training for a month or so. If you're not a parent yet, you can't possibly understand how exciting it is when your child goes on the potty. It's almost like climbing Everest in the parenting world. Lots of cheering and pats on the back.

So on Sunday we pop into Carl's Jr. for a bite to eat. We're sitting there waiting for our food to arrive. Mike gets up to go the bathroom and I feel the need to specify that he just had to pee. So he leaves. The following conversation with Ava ensues:

Ava: Where did Daddy go?
Mommy: He went to the potty.
Ava: Oh yeah...Daddy got alot of poopy in his butt.
Mommy: (blushing and trying to avoid the looks from other diners) Shhhhh!

Mike comes out of the restroom and Ava feels the need to congratulate him.

Ava: Daddy, you go poopy in the potty? Yay Daddy!!! You did it!!!

Man...I tell ya...there are times when I want to crawl under tables. This was one of those moments, but at the same time. It still brings me tears of laughter. I just wish I had been the onlooker.

Ava-isms

Someone recently told me that I needed to start keeping track of all the cute things Ava says because one day, she won't say them anymore. So I will update this particular post as often as I can think of all of the Ava-isms.

Ava Says: Three Mice Mens
Ava Means: Three Wise Men

Ava Says: I hold you mommy
Ava Means: You hold me mommy

Ava Says: Where'd Memo go?
Ava Means: Where'd Nemo go?

Ava Says: More chalk it
Ava Means: More chocolate

Ava Says: Get the bloops mommy
Ava Means: Clean in between my toes mommy
Footnote: Bloop is the sound I make while sliding my fingers in between her toes during bathtime.

Ava Says: There's Wheep
Ava Means: There's Owl
Footnote: She's named the owl in Winnie the Pooh "Wheep" No idea why.

Ava Says: Oh shit.
Ava Means: Oh shit.
Mommy Thinks: Dang it...I've got to stop saying things like that in front of her.

Mommy Says: What does a starfish do?
Ava Says: Abso Nuttin
Ava Means: Absolutely nothing

Ava Says: Blow my dry hair
Ava Means: Blow dry my hair

Ava Says: Meemaw came on a rocket ship.
Ava Means: Meemaw came on an airplane.

Ava Says: Mommy, I love you so much.
Mommy Says: Why do you love me so much?
Ava Says: Because you're everyday.
Ava Means: ????
If anyone wants to enlighten me on this, feel free.

Merry Christmas!

We're lame and didn't send out holiday cards this year. So for the 5 of you that actually check our site...Merry Christmas! May Santa bring you all that you've been wishing for. We wish you health and happiness for 2009! May this year be even better than the last!

The Great Outdoors

Over Thanksgiving weekend we headed out to the desert to go camping. As some of you might recall, we took Ava last year at Thanksgiving. We weren't too sure how she would do this time around. She's older and more mobile, but we thought we'd give a shot.

So we arrived at the desert around midnight. She was sound asleep in the truck. We set up the camper and once everything was situated we moved her inside. The next morning we woke up and she sits up and says, "I camping!" She had the biggest smile on her face. So I unzip the window of the camper so she can see outside and of course she wants to go out. So we bundle her up and take her out and she's walking around in what is, essentially, a giant sandbox. She says to me, "Park. BIG PARK!" We collected rocks and did some exploring.

Then it was time for her nap. Again I wasn't sure how she would do in a place she wasn't familiar with. I take her inside and put her down in the bed and tell her it's time to take a nap. I walk outside and I'm talking to Mike and look over just in time to see Ava fall out of the bed onto the ground outside. Basically the pop up campers are just tent walls over the bed. Yep...she fell out. She hits the ground and then looks up at me and says, "Mommy, I fall out." I said, "You sure did." She said, "I okay." She wiped off her hands and we took her back inside, put her in a different bed and she went down for her nap. I've include the picture below so you can get an idea of how far she fell.

And here's the little angel napping...

The next great adventure was making smores. Sometimes I forget how literal kids are. I told her earlier to stay away from the fire because it was hot. So when it was time to roast marmallows this is as close as she would get...

We're fully aware now that we are definitely raising a tomboy at the moment. She couldn't get enough of the dirt. At one point I look over and she's just laying in the dirt...rolling around. Later on in the evening she's picking up handfuls of dirt and rubbing it in her hair saying, "I washa my hair." We wouldn't have it any other way. The trip was wonderful and we will definitely be doing it again soon! Here's the link to all of the pictures on Thanksgiving and of the trip:

http://picasaweb.google.com/janicecaruso/November2008?authkey=HY1LZ7Qk11U&feat=directlink

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's that time of year again. It's a time when we like to talk about what we are thankful for. First and foremost, I am thankful for my beautiful family. I have a wonderful husband who drives me crazy sometimes, but I can't think of anyone else I'd rather spend my days with. I have a sweet little angel who lights up every day of my life. She also drives me crazy sometimes, but then again she's almost 2...what can I expect? I am thankful for my parents (all four of them) and the unique relationships I have with each of them. I am thankful for my extended family...my friends...who are there daily to support me in life's journey.

We are truly blessed to have the life that we have and every day we try to remember to be grateful for it. So if I don't say it enough: Thank you all! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!