Friday, April 30, 2010

Day One Hundred and Nineteen

Bugs...

We took Ava to the park and realized she has another new word.  Today's word is "bug".  She is starting to average a new word just about every day now.

Here she was in the morning watching herself on the computer.  She loves watching her videos.



...watching it again...



at the park...







Thursday, April 29, 2010

Days One Hundred and Sixteen thru One Hundred and Eighteen

Where to Start???

I guess Tuesday would be appropriate but wow...it has been another too long, too crazy, too much week.  Ava woke up in the middle of the night or should I say 2am Tuesday morning throwing up.  So as you can guess Tuesday was a charmer.  I missed class and have found myself behind at the end of the semester where there is no room to be behind.  Here was a quick snapshot from Tuesday.  It was taken simply to have something to show.


Wednesday was a bit better but not much.  We tried everything we could think of for Ava to eat.  I thought she may like chicken noodle (which she likes not sick) but I just ended up with noodles on the floor.  She  did however eat rice cereal with applesauce.  Go figure cause she wasn't a fan of that stuff back when I use to try to feed it to her.


Thursday was another long day of me trying to make up and get caught up.  I felt about how this plant is feeling.  Like it's time for a new pot or in my case a break.


Now if I can go figure out how to change the date of these so they post under April and not May.  I can't believe it's May.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Day One Hundred and Fifteen

Traces of Angels...

If you ever go into the house of a family member on my Mom's side you may find a lot of loose change in odd places.  More specifically pennies in various places like window sills, tops of toilets, counter tops, even on the floor,  and under tables.

It became a tradition to leave pennies where they were found after my Aunt Penny died.  I grew up knowing no different and just thinking of it as good luck.  It's like my Aunt was there looking out for us.

Now I only got pictures of a few pennies because I suffer from a sever case of being completely scatterbrained which has only gotten worse since I got pregnant with Ava.  I happened to be half way through packing Aaron's lunch so I couldn't venture too far from my task or I was liable to never get back and finish it.  And Yes I realize that I just admitted that I stopped packing Aaron's lunch because I remembered I needed to take a picture.





Sunday, April 25, 2010

Days One Hundred and Eleven through One Hundred and Fourteen

Catching up is hard to do...

Two more weeks of this semester then hopefully it's back on track for me at least blog wise.  Here is what the last few days have been about.

Wednesday was a LONG day and I didn't even go anywhere.  Aaron ended up sick so I stayed home with Ava instead of going to class.  That is the first time this semester that I have had to miss a class so all in all that's no too shabby.

My friend on Wednesday (homework, homework, homework...I'd be screwed without my laptop)

Aaron's friend on Wednesday and all week for that matter (I don't know how he can drink this...I'd be getting sick again just from trying to drink it)

Thursday I didn't have class because my teacher had to go out of town.  Ava and I went up to Nan and Pop's to visit anyways.  It through Ava off because she kept worrying that I was going to leave and wouldn't really settle enough to take a nap so we had to leave after lunch.  Pop's brother (Uncle) Jimmy and his wife came with lunch for everyone and it was nice to get to see them. I had gone to quiz Nan on some of the family history.  Years ago Nan started working on our Genealogy and I am working on it again.  I have all of her information combined with the wonderfulness that is the internet.  I have already found some really cool things.  This is my summer project...I am really getting excited for a trip to the State archives....I LOVE history.
O and an update on the potty training.  Ava is using the potty consistently at least 2-3 times a day.  Still a long way to go but she is getting the idea.  Hopefully by the end of summer we can be done with diapers.
Now Friday left me with more homework and family history to research.  Normally on Friday's I take Ava to a park or out somewhere but it's been a chilly week.  We played in the yard and then when Aaron came home we had to run up to his work and drop off some paperwork.  Seeing as it was rush hour we killed some time by taking Ava to a park we use to take our nephew to when I was pregnant.  Ava had fun but it didn't have swings so she got bored semi-quick.  Then we drove over to Toys R Us in hopes of finding some cool outdoor toys but that didn't really go as planned either.  Ava did get a patio chair and her new priced possession.  She saw this dark pink extra large bouncy ball and had to have it.  She held on to it and smiled the whole way home :)
I also noticed that my tomato plant has itty bitty tomatoes growing on it.  So exciting...

Saturday we went to the amish market and picked up some asparagus, jarred green beans, fresh local honey (good for seasonal allergies), some cinnamon buns, and banana bread...yum yum.

Now as far as today goes, the weather man lied.  I thought it was suppose to be nice today but so far it's drizzly, cold, and dreary just like yesterday.  Boo for crappy weather.  I am just hoping my morning coffee will help me stay up and motivated today.

Phew...what a relief it is to be caught up.  I really hope these next two-three weeks don't completely do me in.

Day One Hundred and Ten

More Videos...

I needed a break and videos seem to change things up just enough for me. Here is my "draft" post from Tuesday that I forgot to click submit on....oops. (or in Ava language...uppz).







Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Day One Hundred and Nine

Bending the rules...

A great perk to this whole project is the ability to change the rules since it is MY project.  Today I opted to leave the big camera at home and took the flip instead.  So here are some videos for your viewing pleasure.

You may want to pause the player on the side.

Ava loves to run so this field was perfect for her.


She hits her head at the end of this one...she was alright...it just scared her a bit.





She normally laughs more on the swing since it is her favorite but I think the other little girl there was throwing her off.  Normally we are there by ourselves.



She does so well with the steps.  Her favorite things right now are steps and ramps.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Pop's Basement

A Bonus post of some additional shots that I took today.  I went for a walk through pop's basement just to reminisce and try to capture a few moments from my childhood.  First, let me just tell you that the smell of Pop's basement is like no other.  It is one of the top five all time absolute best smells EVER.  Right up there with the lilac smell of the yard, fresh cut grass, a real wood fire, real lavendar, and Pop's basement.  It is a combination of must, cement, rust, motor oil, gas, paint, and what else I just don't know but to me it is just so calming.  I really wish I could bottle it or make it into a candle.

Pop's basement is where all the goodies were hidden.  The bikes, the sleds, and of course the pool table.  We would spend HOURS down there playing pool.  Pop is an AWESOME pool player.  He can do the whole pool stick behind his back trick while we would just sit on the table and roll the balls in whichever pocket was close.  The basement was like one of those magical kingdoms of childhood, full of magic and wonder, where only happy times were had, where we could be kids.

Here is a look into our magic kingdom.





Training Wheels


Check this out



I think we all rode this when we were little.
The clown sprinkler is awesome...Ava gets to experience it this summer.





This hole use to seem like a massive gaping mile wide hole.  It was TERRIFYING as a child.  I remember back when the washer and dryer were down there and I would go down with Nan and shimmy my way around the opening ever so carefully.  I use to think that it was bottomless and if I fell in I would be gone forever.

Here is a great photo of Pop.
Kind of crazy how much my brother looks like Pop.
I really need to ask about that ring.  He has always worn that ring.

Next I need to venture up into Nan's attic.  A whole other world of magic but more along the line of dolls and hoop skirts and less nuts and bolts.  The attic also has a huge gaping hole in the floor that FREAKED me out as a child.  What is with the huge holes in the floor????  Yet, another mystery of Nan's and Pop's.

Day One Hundred and Eight

Clean Up and Team Work...

Today we went to my Nana and Poppies for project clean up the yard.  We weeded, cut grass, de-cluttered, planted, mulched, etc., etc., etc.  Then we ate fried chicken, potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, and rolls....yum yum.  Oh yeah and cake and brownies followed. 

We also worked to clean out the play area which was originally constructed when Katelynn was little and she is 19 and probably has not been used since Julianne was little and she is 10 so it's been a while.  Ava seems to really enjoy her new play area. 









The yard smelled of lilacs and fresh cut grass and with distant drifts of fried chicken coming from the house.  It was like sensory overload combined with flash backs of childhood.  There is just nothing like being at Nan's and Pop's.

Day One Hundred and Seven

Little people, Big World...

No, not the show.  While it is a decent show (isn't the Dad nuts?!?!) I am talking about Ava and her cousin Nathan.  It's so funny to watch little ones as they interact and maneuver in the big world.  On Saturday we went up to Aaron's Aunt's house to visit so Ava could see her cousin Nathan.  We had a good time and I have a few really adorable pictures to show of the little cuties together.  Nathan is three months older than Ava and makes a great playmate.  She doesn't have many that are close to her size. 

 It was really windy outside...just look at Ava's wild hair.

These are my favorite photos of the day.  Ava went and sat with Nathan on the floor...too cute.


We went to Ava's Grammy's house afterward to visit for a bit but the camera stayed in the car.  Sometimes it's nice to not feel like the camera is an extra appendage.  I love my camera and love taking photos but sometimes I have to breath.