We go to the daffodil field each year for pictures during the 'festival'. This year we almost missed it. Between the torrential rains and the 80 degree weather, the daffodils were all but gone. This was one of the only patches left when we got there. We asked a woman who was passing by to take a picture of us and she managed to capture one where everyone had their eyes open!
These are the pictures we get when we try to take pictures of the kids....
Kinley and Ava actually do ok by themselves.
Not Miles. This is what we got trying to take a single shot of him.
They LOVE running through the field. Sadly, most of the daffodils you see are already wilted.
My friend Heather brought her 4 month old baby boy by to visit one afternoon. Ava is completely enamored with babies and has been crying and begging us to have 2 more (a boy named Jack and a girl named Princess Aurora). She has promised to go to bed on time and stay in bed, clean the playroom and not fight with her brother. (She almost had us considering it! HAHAHA!) I explained to her that babies grow up to be toddlers and then they will want to sit in my lap and will yell at her, "MY Mommy!" and not let her sit there. She has now notified us that she does not want another brother or sister! That was easy.
Republican Presidential candidate, Rick Santorum, recently called President Obama a snob for wanting all kids to have the opportunity to go to college. This one's for Rick....I am proud to announce that we snobs are raising little future snobs, if that is the new definition of the word.
Kinley is now about an inch away from being as tall as me and wears a larger shoe size. It's like you can see her growing and maturing right before your eyes. She will start High School in the fall and is currently studying for her learner's permit. Yikes! She has been practicing parallel parking using the gator and a couple of orange cones out back! She didn't make cheer this year, but has been so positive about it. She congratulated all of her friends who made the squad again and showed concern for the others who didn't. She also decided to look at it another way. College admissions don't usually care too much about cheer, so she is going to start building her resume for college now. She is going out for Yearbook staff (Pray she makes it. She would be great as their photographer!) She may also go out for swim team, since she can't take tennis until her sophomore year. We are so incredibly proud of her.
Ava has been really funny lately. She seems more 16 sometimes than 4. Recently she was asking me to make her some cereal, but I was in the middle of something and also talking to Kinley and Miles at the same time. After about the fourth time, she finally forcefully blurted out, "For the love of God, get me some cereal!!" I know, totally not PC, but funny at that moment.
At home not long ago, she asked me if your hair grows out of your brain. I told her no, that your brain is inside your skull and your hair grows out of your skin on the outside of your skull and that it grows a little each day. Then she said, "Oh, so your hair has a birthday everyday?" I guess that's one way of looking at it.
A couple of days ago, we were driving in a neighborhood and came to a stop sign. I admit that I actually slowed down, but didn't come to a complete stop as it was the middle of the day and NO ONE was around. (I know, poor excuse) Ava promptly told me (as if I was in trouble), "Mommy, you didn't stop at that stop sign." I replied, "Yes, I did, basically." Ava, "No you didn't, you rolled right on through it." Me: "No, I stopped for the most part". Ava: "MOMMY, USE YOUR BRAIN!" Me: (WTH????) Kinley was in the front seat trying not to laugh out loud. I told Ava that wasn't very nice to say and not to worry about the stop sign, I stopped, for all intents and purposes. She then asked me, "Mommy, Did your brain tell you to say that?", to which I replied "Yes". She responded, "Well, my brain told me that you didn't stop at that stop sign." WHAT am I going to do when she is 16?
Recently, we were watching one of the cable news channels (I'll let you guess which one is WASN'T) and someone was talking about things always being about money and not people nowadays. Ava looked up from her dinner at me and Brad, scrunched up her face and asked knowingly, shaking her head as if disgusted, "Is he a republican?" We have GOT to stop watching/talking/debating politics in front of her! She is too attentive.
She also quite frequently asks us, "Do you hear the words coming out of my mouth???" and "Do I stutter??". I have already reprimanded Brad.
Miles is in full conversation now. He sings his alphabet and can count to 20. (Although, with his asthma, he gets a respiratory treatment twice a day for two years and we count to 20 each time.... he was bound to pick that up!) He LOVES to sing and sings often, as well as dances which is major entertainment. He is about to start his 3rd season of soccer and is ready to go! He is quite competitive! He is also very protective of Ava. Recently, one of his friends at school was trying to take Ava's sunglasses away from her when we were dropping Miles off in his classroom. Ava was getting upset and Miles got between them and yelled, "NO! You leave my sister alone!!" The look on his face was something I hadn't seen before. Lookout Ava's future boyfriends!
He is actually a very affectionate little boy. One of the sweetest things that he did lately (to show a softer side) was while we were reading books at night. We got some new books at Miles' book fair at school about feelings. Each book is about a different feeling. (Jealous, Sad, Angry, Happy, Loved, etc) We started to read the one about feeling Loved and Ava said what is Loved? To which Miles jumped up and threw his arms around my neck and squeezed me tight and said,
"Love right HEEYA (here)!!" I got a little choked up (I know, silly) and told Brad over the monitor that he might have to come read to them. It was SO sweet!
He is also ALMOST potty trained. Lately at school he hasn't been having any accidents and he has now poo poo'd in the potty at home twice and a few times at school. (THAT was the big hurtle that I was worried about with a boy--I kept hearing horror stories about potty training a boy) Ava was so easy. But consistency has paid off big time! He has lots of new big boy underpants (Batman, Superman, Spongebob, Thomas the train, etc and LOVES to wear them!) He wore them to the party that we went to below and was so proud, telling everyone and showing them too!
We recently went to baby Ford's first birthday party and the trampoline was the focal point of the party. Miles had busted his nose on a tree stump at the daffodil field and continued to 'faceplant' on the trampoline, causing blood to pour from his nose repeatedly. I had to take the white shirt he was wearing off before it was history.
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Look
who is in "big boy" underpants!! So many pictures we take of him are a
blur as he is always on the move! We are so excited and hopeful that
he might be fully potty trained in time to start school with Ava in the
Fall. He wants to go to her school so badly.
Miles is looking forward to starting Mixed Martial Arts classes where his Pito works out. Nana, Pito and I took him and Ava down to see the facility and they got to watch two guys kickboxing. Afterward, Jim (Pito) took Miles out onto the mats and Miles was so intrigued that his Pito would just all of a sudden drop to the ground and tumble. His attempt to do the same was comical. He can't actually start with the "Spider Monkeys" until he is 4. :( |
Miles sings constantly....in the car, the shower, in bed, at school, at
the dinner table and, as you can see here, while I am trying to log
cases into the computer during the evening. His favorites: Twinkle
Twinkle Little Star, Five Little Ducks, Old McDonald, BINGO, Five Little
Monkeys jumping on the bed, You are my sunshine.
The kids got new ride-on toys from Duck Duck Goose this year. Her old one in the background had seen better days. Miles' has a tailgate and cupholders and Ava's has working doors and a radio. The kids, for some reason, insist on listening to a Spanish Country station. Makes me crave Mexican food!!
Another neat find from DDG was Ava's high chair for her baby. Apparently her baby likes stir-fry as much as the kids do!
One of Miles' friends from school, Landon (and his twin sister, Summerlyn) had their birthday party at the Athletic Club's Down Under and the kids had a blast. (Although I'm not sure who had more fun, Brad or Miles?) A life size Barney came to the party as well and each of the kids started bawling! HA! In their defense, he is a very creepy dinosaur.
Kinley was bored over spring break and played dress-up with Ava. Again, I don't know who was having more fun here, Kinley or Ava.
This is such a sweet picture to me. Ava has been saying her prayers each night for years and Miles has been listening for over 2 now. He has FINALLY decided to join in. It is the sweetest, most innocent (regardless of how the rest of the day went) part of our day and I am so blessed to have these little guys as my kids.
When I turn my back for two minutes, I find Ava with a baby doll in her leotard and "hooker" make-up on, tights on over her leotard and a sweater "to match"and a Mardi Gras bead necklace. AND we went out to play in the back yard like this. Miles didn't look much better in his jammies, crocodile houseshoes and jacket. I guess you could consider those "play clothes"?
Ava and her buddy Owen on Valentine's Day. She LOVED his Valentine's Day card and couldn't stop looking at it and laughing about it in the car! They are such buddies. They also take art classes together after school on Wednesdays.
Ava, Miles and Owen playing at Wonder Place together after art class. This is becoming a weekly event and the kids can't get enough of it. They play together so well that it is a pleasure to take them there. There is also a new cupcake place, aptly named, TracyCakes next door. We have spent more than a little time in there. I'm afraid they may actually know our names.
Ava with her Uncle Michael. They had a good time together playing games on his phone while visiting Granny in the hospital.
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| Enjoying cupcakes that Nana brought them. |
I asked her in the car that day when I picked her up from school if she took a nap and she told me, "I think so". ??? How do you not know if you just took a nap? Obviously, she was mistaken as this is how I found her about 5 minutes after we got home from school.
Another play date at Wonder Place. Cooking up a storm just like at home. I'm not sure where this cooking gene comes from, as I am actually missing this gene.
This picture of Ava is cute, as she put on her own headband, but I put it in here so that you can see Miles in the background staring directly into a flashlight. Brilliant.
Brad recently took an old French door and ran lighting through the wall to the door. We were hoping to have one large picture of our family behind it, but had trouble getting a good enough resolution, so we ended up putting 15 different photos in it. It looks particularly good in the evening. The light is warm like firelight.
Miles bed is finally finished. Brad made him a half-pipe bed to go with his skateboard-themed room. He used PVC pipe to make the rails on top and we added the graffiti after it was finished. We have had a lot of fun designing the kids rooms/furniture. I'm not sure what we will do when they rapidly outgrow these beds!
Ava and her girlfriends went to the Tea and Tiara's Annual Fundraiser this year and were treated like royalty. They were able to walk the red carpet complete with pageant queen MCs. Ava refused to wear her tiara because it didn't feel like the ones she has at home. In the picture below not a single girl is looking in the same direction! So much to see and do.
Emmy, Eden, Lily, Ava and Annabel
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| Did I mention that it was a Mother/Daughter tea? We had just as much fun getting to visit and watch our girls have a good time. |
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| Emmy, Annabel and Ava |
Ava and Lily
Eden and Ava running down the red carpet after the event was over.
They had the "Balloon Lady" there making balloon magic wands, among other things.
Ava switched dance schools in December and is now taking with girls from her school. She is also making new friends. In the picture above Ava and one of her girlfriends appear to be having a conversation while stretching. In the picture below they are practicing for their recital. In the video you can see that Ava is actually the youngest one in her class. Mom and Jim had come to watch her dance class and I think you can hear the tap class practicing across the hall.
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| Sleepy little bride. She is still consumed with getting married and having babies. I swear we are going to have to find a "College Bound Career Girl Barbie"! All these "princesses in distress waiting for their prince charmings to rescue them and live happily ever after" is for the birds. NOT the message we are trying to instill in our girls. I can't wait for BRAVE to come out this summer. Disney finally appears to have heard the modern Mom's cries for help! Thank you Disney, better late than never. |
OK, ignore the fact that she is trying to snap the snaps on the crotch of her leotard, and just listen to her sing. This is her favorite Spanish song that they sing in her Spanish class. She sings several, but this one she actually sang WITH the waiter at Senior Tequila one night. According to him, it is about as popular with Spanish kids as Twinkle Twinkle is with American kids. So cute watching her sing it with him!
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| The kids have the kitchen that Santa brought and all the Melissa and Doug food that they got simply wouldn't fit. SO, God bless Brad. He built them a pantry to match their kitchen. It really helps keep the playroom a little less messy and all the food (with its numerous parts!) in one place. |
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| Ava has been SO interested in getting her haircut lately. She has cut all her Barbies hair short as well as some dolls. I have let her get it as short as she wants it. (Last week she had it cut above her shoulders and tapered in the front. It is quite short, but cute. It just takes a little getting used to.) I will post pictures of it in my next post. (Hopefully won't take 3 months this time!) In the video below Ava is actually completely ASLEEP. I have a longer video taken right before this one, but this one was shorter and a bit funnier to me. Samantha was scared to death that she would fall off the booster seat onto the floor. The whole salon was laughing at her. In the end, Ava was laughing as well! She loves to show this video to people. |
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| Ava and Miles as we were dropping him off the morning of her haircut. You can see Ms. Rose and one of his girlfriends, Layne, in the background. He will tell you that he has two girlfriends, Berkley and Layne, but he calls them both by their first and last name. Too cute. |
The kids watching Brad make Miles' bed in the garage. They couldn't wait to get in it to play. Now if we can only get him in it to want to SLEEP.
