The past 2 weeks

The past two weeks have been a whirl wind. When I haven't been working we've had a guest or we've been out of town. I started off the week of the 8th working Monday through Wednesday. Thursday morning our friend Tommy arrived from Decorah. It had been far to long since we had seen him. We were so happy that he could make the trip up here before school started. We spent the afternoon at the farmer's market and went "mini golfing" on the real turf course at Centennial Lakes Park. Unfortunately strollers were not allowed on the greens. So, Ava was on the loose! She was the ball collector and took her job very seriously. She was constantly on the go, and sometimes our goal was to hit our ball before she got a hold of it. That evening we grilled, put Ava to bed, and enjoyed a nice fire outside with some wine and smores. What a great evening! Friday morning Nate and Ava headed to the lake (since I had to work my 12 hour weekend shift) while Tommy and I made our way to the mall. After lunch it was back to Decorah for Tommy. Tommy, it was great seeing you. We can hopefully meet up again this fall!

Friday afternoon and evening I was home alone. I have to admit that I was looking forward to taking a nap and just having some quiet time. I did enjoy the nap, but the house was eerily quiet that evening. There was nobody throwing food on the floor, asking for a "bite, bite" as I ate my dinner. There were no toys on the floor, giggles or bedtime stories. I sometimes long for "quiet moments" during the chaos of our days. But when I have them, they seem lonely and I can't wait to once again hear "hi mommy, wuv you" accompanied be giggles and requests to read books.

By the time I got home Sunday evening Ava was already in bed. I packed my bags in preparation for our early morning departure for De Soto (Des Moines). We were on the road by 6:30 Monday morning to go and visit my sister, brother-in-law, and nephews. Zackery really wanted to take Ava to the state fair to see the animals. We got down there in time for lunch and then got to go and visit Zackery's new school that he was starting at on Wednesday. Monday night my sister was nice enough to watch Ava for us while we met up with our good friends Erin and Kevin for dinner. We had a great time...enjoyed margaritas, has good food, were able to catch up, and everybody watched as our waitress dumped a tray of food all over me and my white linen pants. Kevin was laughing so hysterically hard that all I could do was laugh. It was a mess!!! In spite of the green salsa on my pants and the sour cream in my hair, we had a great time. We wish it could happen more frequently!

Tuesday morning I went in to get Ava. I go in and see her standing in the pack-n-play with no diaper on. She has never taken her diaper off before. I pick up the diaper and hold it, asking her what it was. She pointed at it and said, "diaper, on, on". Her sheet and blankie were covered in pee, and I quickly noted that she was as well (she was sticky from head to toe). Needless to say, she wore the pj bottoms to bed that night. In to the shower she went with Nate that morning. After breakfast we packed our umbrellas and ventured out to the state fair. It rained on and off throughout the morning, but wasn't bad. Ava and the boys enjoyed seeing the animals and of course all of the food. Ava made sure to try everything...corn dog, cheese curd, funnel cake popsicle, chocolate chip cookies, and chicken strips. She of course loved everything (shocking, I know). She was exhausted by the time that we left that afternoon. Nate and Brent went and played golf that evening while Ava played outside with Reece and enjoyed a MUCH needed bubble bath.

Wednesday morning Grandma & Boppa Becker were there when we awoke. Brent and Nate picked them up from the airport around 12:30 am, as they got back from their Alaskan cruise. Ava got up and had a pancake breakfast with Zackery before he boarded the bus for his first day of school at his new school. Ava was obviously exhausted from her day at the fair because later that morning she fell asleep on Grandma's lap and it was almost impossible to wake her up for lunch. We all had lunch and then loaded the car for the ride home. Ava slept for another 2 hours on the way home which makes the drive go so much more enjoyable.

Yesterday she went to day care and today she was home with daddy. She slept in both days. I think that she's ready for a weekend at home as well. She'll be spending tomorrow evening at home with our family friend Cheryl while Nate and I meet up with my parents to go to the Twins game. The weather is supposed to be beautiful and I can't wait for an evening out at the ballpark.


Ava & Tommy on their way to pick up Tommy's golf ball

She is so excited to be wearing Black & Gold! :)

Reece, Zackery, & Ava with the biggest bore runner-up

Ava petting the largest bore

Ava petting a calf

Learning to lead a calf. I don't know that she's so much a 4H kind of girl.

Exhausted, and this is before she ate all of the food.

Ava & Reece

Ava with her apron and hat on, getting rather to gather her fruits and veggies in her basket at the "helping hands" farm

Reece and Ava picking apples

Ava on the run

Trying to get as much funnel cake in her mouth as possible

Our attempt at a family picture before we left the fair. Ava was asleep within 5 minutes after this picture was taken.

Erin & me

Zackery & Ava enjoying breakfast together before his first day of school

Boppa & Ava with their hats on

One happy Grandma with one exhausted little girl

A play date & the cabin

Ava had a fun filled week. She spent a couple of days at home with Daddy and a day at day care while I was at work. Thursday we hung out and then went over to Cora's house (ok, it's really Mike & Kristi's house) for dinner and a play date. Cora had the pool all ready when we arrived. It was a beautiful night out (except for the mosquitoes that ate me alive). The girls played while we got to catch up a bit with Mike & Kristi. I've tried for almost 18 months to get a good picture of the girls together. It is impossible. I finally got one where both of them are at least looking at the camera. After the pool party we sat down for a wonderful meal and then enjoyed some entertainment put on by the girls. Thank you Mike & Kristi for a wonderful dinner! We're already looking forward to our next get together.

We planned on leaving for the cabin bright and early on Friday. Ava, however, was exhausted from her late night with Cora so she slept in. We finally got on the road and were able to enjoy a beautiful day on the lake on Friday. I was even brave enough to get the skis out. I haven't skied for almost three years. I got right up, and wasn't nearly as sore as I thought I'd be come Saturday morning. Unfortunately it rained all Saturday morning, but eventually the sun came out and Daddy got out on the skis. We headed home after lunch today and Ava is fast asleep in her own bed. It's back to work for me tomorrow.

Ava had a great time playing on Cora's horse.
Ava standing in shock at how lean & fit Cora is, and Cora standing in shock at Ava's many "curves"

The one picture I have of the two girls looking at the camera

This was the aftermath of an attempted hug

Cora going in for the kiss

It was a good morning on the lake (which led to a delicious dinner for us)

Ava get up close with the fish (and she's not too fond of it). She was however trying to grab onto the minnows the day before.

Our little sailor

Bikini Time

Friday morning we headed north to the cabin for the weekend. We had great weather and a great time. I'll let the pictures tell the story...

It was time to break out the bikini.

I'm not sure who had more fun swimming in the lake...Daddy or Ava

"Airing out" on the deck

Touch Down!

Very excited to be trying Fritos for the first time.

Our family ride on the tube

Driving the boat with Boppa
Doing a bit of light yard work this morning
Daddy caught fish this morning
Our sweet girl hanging out on the dock

Weekend

Ava's fun started on Friday when she got home from the gym. Our friends Nathan & Meredith brought Jackson & Eden all the way from IA, and came over to play. Unfortunately I was at work and missed all the fun. Nate said that Jackson & Ava had a great time, making sure that every single toy was removed from the toy box. I'm glad that they all had a good time, but am sad that I missed everybody. I hope to see you guys soon!

Saturday afternoon Ava packed up for a sleepover at Grandma & Boppa V's while Daddy and I went to a wedding. Nate and I had a great time, and really enjoyed our night out (perhaps with a few too many glasses of wine). It was reported that Ava was a good girl and had lots of fun. Unfortunately she decided to wake Grandma & Boppa up at 6:00 on Sunday. I guess she was just excited to see them. Daddy met up with them at church while I slept (I had to work my 12 hour night shift Sunday), and then headed back over for some more play time.

Yesterday Ava turned 17 months old. I was too tired from my night shift to even think about taking her picture, sorry. I can't believe the little person that she is becoming. I feel like every day she learns a new word or a new expression. She is growing so fast. It's hard to believe that a year ago she could barely roll over. Now she's this cute (sometimes whiny) little sassy thing. One moment she has me so frustrated, the next minute I'm laughing at something she's done or an expression that she's made, and the next minute my heart is melting as she snuggles into my shoulder, gives me a kiss good-night, and says, "love you" (more like whove ooh). We are so blessed to have this healthy and happy little girl. As much as I enjoy my quiet time during her naps, I can't imagine how "quiet" our lives would be without her.

Jackson & Ava playing

Nate & me at the weddingThese would be our photos from the photo booth.

Nate took this picture last week. I guess she was ready for nap time

Day off

Today was my one day off this week and Ava and I stayed plenty busy. We left Daddy at home while we went to the gym this morning and then headed to Maple Grove to get Ava's hair cut. We were then off to Grandma & Boppa's to have lunch and take a nap (which there wasn't much of a nap). Ava got to play with Grandma while I went to the dentist, where I got a good report card. We played and hung out with Daddy this evening.

The heat wave finally broke today. It was still in the high 80's, but that seemed cool compared to the last couple of days. Ava was finally able to go outside and play for a little while. As you can see, it was another Rufflebutts day. She just looks so darn cute in them. :)

Ava working on her first masterpiece. We picked this little desk up at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago. It's just her size, and I don't care if she writes with her new crayons all over the top of it.

Daddy & Ava out for a little stroll early this morning

Picking up rocks and throwing them is Ava's new favorite past time while she is outside.

Heat Wave

I can tell that I have been working more hours and Nate has been staying home...we have far fewer pictures of Ava every week. :) It's been a pretty low key week which has been extremely nice. I worked Monday through Wednesday, with Ava going to day care on Tuesday. Nate picked her up so that I was able to enjoy a drink out with the girls after work. That was a treat (especially since the heat wave didn't come until Wednesday, so we were able to enjoy sitting out on the patio).

So, we had four days with just the three of us. I was able to catch up on some cleaning and laundry, we ran errands (grocery shopping), and even made it to the gym. It was so hot by Friday that we didn't want to go outside. Friday evening we got to go see Uncle Josh and Aunt Kate for dinner. We've been trying to find a time to get together for a month, so we were so excited to finally make it down to their place for a BBQ. We packed up Ava's pack-n-play so she went to bed while we hung out. Saturday we hung out and had a date night in at home. We went the healthy route and got DQ blizzards for dinner and rented a movie. It was actually quite enjoyable.

This morning we went to church and then got to meet Aunt Lisa & Uncle Craig for brunch. They were in the cities for a short time and we were lucky enough to get to see them. We don't get to see them near enough so we were grateful that they could squeeze us in before heading back to Kansas City. Ava made sure to give them plenty of kisses to last until we see them again. Thanks again Lisa & Craig...it was so great to see you this morning!!!

After going to the gym on Saturday we decided to run to Target and pick up a "potty chair". Picking out the chair was kind of a big decision. There are quite a few models to choose from. However, Nate immediately vetoed the one that plays music when you pee or poop. Anyway, I don't think that Ava is necessarily ready to be potty trained today. However, I thought that I would introduce her to the chair and see how things go. If she doesn't catch on it's no big deal. Well, we got the chair out today and let her explore with it. Let's just say that I think it may be awhile before we start potty training. She thinks that the toilet seat is a bracelet, and prefers to use the pee bucket as a hat (and Grandma thought that she was advanced for her age; I'm sure that all Harvard grads used their first potty chair this way). I've posted pics of our little genius below. :)

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend and found a way to stay cool. Thanks for checking in with us!

This is Ava's new face that she is always making. It's the mouth open, gasp, sounding shocked and surprised at everything. (she can sometimes be a drama queen, I'm not sure where she gets that from)

Ava exploring her new potty chair. No, she usually doesn't run around with just a diaper on but this girl sweats like no other. So, this afternoon we went sans clothes.

What can I say, she likes to accessorize

Teeth, turds in tub, tubing, high temps

The subject of this entry pretty much sums up our past week. There's never a dull moment in our lives with little Ava bug. She now has one more tooth, and another one trying to break the skin on her lower jaw. I try to attribute her sassiness (aka, being stubborn and yelling when she doesn't get her way, and frequently saying "no") to teething, but I'm pretty sure that she's just testing her boundaries and our patience all while developing her own personality. I have a feeling that she will be a little girl with a Big personality. :) Her vocabulary does go beyond "no", and she repeats many things that we say. We're now able to read her books and point at objects and she can tell us what they are (granted, we read the same books 25 times a day, but we still like to think that she's brilliant). :)

Ava had her first "turd in the tub" earlier this week. I had put her in the tub and asked Nate to watch her while I ran to the bathroom. I'm coming downstairs and hear Nate yell, "she's pooping". So what would you do? Of course, you run downstairs to grab the camera rather than grab the turd that's about to plummet into the clean bath water. By the time I got back up with the camera there were other "floaters". So, I took her out of the tub and told Nate to watch her while I bleached the bathmat and disinfected the tub. I'm wiping the tub down and say to Nate, "my gosh, it still smells in here". As I turn around Ava is standing right behind me. She has a large pile of poop on the floor behind me, which she has proceeded to step in with her heel and walked across the bathroom mat. All you can do is laugh...and take more pictures. So, I apologize if the pictures below gross you out. I work with poop every day so I find the pictures somewhat funny. Ok, that's enough about poop.

Moving on to tubing. Friday morning we packed the car and once again headed up for a weekend at the cabin. This weekend was a special one since we were getting together with four of Nate's high school friends and their significant others on Saturday. The weather was gorgeous all weekend (except for Saturday morning). It was sunny and hot. I was so happy to be able to enjoy a weekend of nice weather. Friday Ava spent a lot of time in her pool, and hanging out with us and Grandma. Saturday everybody came over to the cabin and Ava got to hang out with Grandma & Boppa while we enjoyed some time on the lake. We got a new tube this year to pull behind the boat, so we thought we would try it out. Ang, Ava, and I took it out for a test drive. Daddy pulled us behind the pontoon and Ava loved it. She kept saying "weeeeee". She got a little bored by the end (since we weren't going real fast), but didn't seem the least bit scared. That evening we went over to Katie's cabin and had dinner with everybody and hung out over there. We left just before midnight. I'm driving and we get about a mile from Katie's place and I hear a "thud thud thud". I pull over (in the middle of nowhere) and we find that I have a Very flat tire. Long story short, we finally got the tire changed after somebody stopped to help us and we got eaten alive by mammoth mosquitoes. We got to bed around 1:15, and our sweet angel was there to wake us at 6:23. Luckily she was full of giggles this morning so it made being sleep deprived a little more bearable.

We're now back home and preparing for another week. Ava will go back to day care on Tuesday. She went last Wednesday and I was told that she had a "great day". I think that she's enjoying the toddler room a little more now that she can walk and keep up with the other kids. That made me feel so much better!

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend. Thanks for checking in with us!

Yeah, the brown log on the side of the bath mat is NOT a bath toy!

This would be the large poop that she made on the floor while I was cleaning up the poop inside of the tub. She looks so pleased with herself.

Enjoying a nice hot day poolside.

Life doesn't get much better than this!

Getting ready to head out on our first tube ride.

Mommy, Ava, and Ang ready to go

Marissa, Katie, (me), Ang, Kersten, Brian, Jason, Daddy, & John. What a fun day we had with everybody!