Shades of Ava: May Edition
Today’s Diaper Sponsored by Crayola
Apparently Rick and I just don’t get it. We attempted to buy Ava another pack of even larger jumbo crayons to encourage our budding artist. With the larger size, we were hoping that she would have an easier time holding them which in turn would make her more likely to draw and less likely to eat the crayons. How wrong we were. Now she is just older and sneakier, and can chomp on them when we are not looking. The blue specks in her teeth are an instant give away, and her rainbow colored diapers take a little longer, but are no less of an indication.
Sing-Song, Sing-Along
We don’t pressure Ava to learn things only to repeat them like a parrot in front of company, but she’s a sponge people! We are so proud that our little Einstein who is not yet two knows her shapes (including diamond and oval!), can count to ten, and is now learning her alphabet. She toddles around the house playing with her toys, all the while singing a disjointed version of the ABC’s. I think it is currently her favorite tune, knocking first Patty Cake then Itsy Bitsy Spider out of contention. Nothing warms the heart like hearing a tiny voice sing, “D,V,D. W, X, Y and Z. Now I know my ABC’s. H, I J, K, Q, R, S,” over and over again.
Mind Your Peas & Thank-You’s
Nobody ever said that parenting is easy. I don’t think that we ever felt that it would be either, BUT one never knows the amount of patience one must have for a screaming child. Silly me. About eight months ago, I suspected that Ava was reaching her terrible twos a little prematurely. Oh you silly, silly woman, it’s only just begun. The child that once ate anything that we put in front of her has now decided that she has a mind of her own. If she doesn’t like her dinner she howls on end without a break, only to dump her bowl of whatever and quickly make finger paint out of it. If we turn our backs for one millisecond the dog that is perched beneath her highchair becomes encrusted with her tossed dinner. Rick and I have had to pull doubles on the bath time duty: one cleans the screaming girl, the other cleans the gooey fluffball otherwise known as Fergus the dog.
And For My Next Trick
Ava has found her voice…and the voice of the underworld. Lately, she has been getting us to mimic what she says in a cute back and forth kind of game with each repeat getting slightly higher in pitch. Ava wins almost every time with the chipmunk squeaks that her voice allows. The other day her aunt Kelly (who is a diehard chocoholic) shared a piece of chocolate with Ava. As I was buckling Ava up to leave she began a round of, “Chocolate?” I explained that there wasn’t any left but played her game anyway. Then just as I had reached my vocal limit and I thought that Ava had as well, out bellowed a deep and grumbly, “CHOCOLATE,” that sounded as if my child had momentarily become demon spawn. Ava laughed. She had cracked herself up.
Bombs Awaaaay!
As a baby, Ava never slept. She was not much of a napper for that first year and we spent many nights being awake more than asleep. When she turned one she finally would make it through the whole night after a few teeth-gritting weeks of the cry to sleep method. Thankfully now bedtime is a peaceful snuggle time of hugs and kisses. She even lets us sleep in on the weekends. Eight a.m. is sleeping in, in our universe. When we finally go to retrieve her from her room each and every one of her stuff animals are flung across the room. A few of them even make their way into her clothes hamper. This is her new favorite sport, to see how far the teddy can fly.
Ed. Note: How have we allowed them to unite?! Go here to see yet another side to Ava that is apparently shared by all toddlers.
Apparently Rick and I just don’t get it. We attempted to buy Ava another pack of even larger jumbo crayons to encourage our budding artist. With the larger size, we were hoping that she would have an easier time holding them which in turn would make her more likely to draw and less likely to eat the crayons. How wrong we were. Now she is just older and sneakier, and can chomp on them when we are not looking. The blue specks in her teeth are an instant give away, and her rainbow colored diapers take a little longer, but are no less of an indication.
Sing-Song, Sing-Along
We don’t pressure Ava to learn things only to repeat them like a parrot in front of company, but she’s a sponge people! We are so proud that our little Einstein who is not yet two knows her shapes (including diamond and oval!), can count to ten, and is now learning her alphabet. She toddles around the house playing with her toys, all the while singing a disjointed version of the ABC’s. I think it is currently her favorite tune, knocking first Patty Cake then Itsy Bitsy Spider out of contention. Nothing warms the heart like hearing a tiny voice sing, “D,V,D. W, X, Y and Z. Now I know my ABC’s. H, I J, K, Q, R, S,” over and over again.
Mind Your Peas & Thank-You’s
Nobody ever said that parenting is easy. I don’t think that we ever felt that it would be either, BUT one never knows the amount of patience one must have for a screaming child. Silly me. About eight months ago, I suspected that Ava was reaching her terrible twos a little prematurely. Oh you silly, silly woman, it’s only just begun. The child that once ate anything that we put in front of her has now decided that she has a mind of her own. If she doesn’t like her dinner she howls on end without a break, only to dump her bowl of whatever and quickly make finger paint out of it. If we turn our backs for one millisecond the dog that is perched beneath her highchair becomes encrusted with her tossed dinner. Rick and I have had to pull doubles on the bath time duty: one cleans the screaming girl, the other cleans the gooey fluffball otherwise known as Fergus the dog.
And For My Next Trick
Ava has found her voice…and the voice of the underworld. Lately, she has been getting us to mimic what she says in a cute back and forth kind of game with each repeat getting slightly higher in pitch. Ava wins almost every time with the chipmunk squeaks that her voice allows. The other day her aunt Kelly (who is a diehard chocoholic) shared a piece of chocolate with Ava. As I was buckling Ava up to leave she began a round of, “Chocolate?” I explained that there wasn’t any left but played her game anyway. Then just as I had reached my vocal limit and I thought that Ava had as well, out bellowed a deep and grumbly, “CHOCOLATE,” that sounded as if my child had momentarily become demon spawn. Ava laughed. She had cracked herself up.
Bombs Awaaaay!
As a baby, Ava never slept. She was not much of a napper for that first year and we spent many nights being awake more than asleep. When she turned one she finally would make it through the whole night after a few teeth-gritting weeks of the cry to sleep method. Thankfully now bedtime is a peaceful snuggle time of hugs and kisses. She even lets us sleep in on the weekends. Eight a.m. is sleeping in, in our universe. When we finally go to retrieve her from her room each and every one of her stuff animals are flung across the room. A few of them even make their way into her clothes hamper. This is her new favorite sport, to see how far the teddy can fly.
Ed. Note: How have we allowed them to unite?! Go here to see yet another side to Ava that is apparently shared by all toddlers.
Comments
Aunt Bev.
my jaw hit the ground. There are kids in kindergarden that still can't even say that word let alone know what it is or the difference between a circle and an oval. YIKES! And her demon voice is hilarious! This tiny, pretty little girl with little pink ponytail holders holding up two ponytails on the top of her head looks at you with a smile and an Exorcist voice coming out of her mouth! Love, Jo