Wednesday, April 4, 2012

All about Spunky Monkey

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Class picture day, practicing our smile

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Palm Sunday

Practicing our Easter songs

All about our three year old spunky monkey:

Whoa, where do I start, I might have to start rambling over this keyboard without much planning because there are so many things I never want to forget about baby girl and I can’t seem to organize my thoughts so here goes:

Ava’s choice nickname to be called is “Miss Kit-Kat.”  This was initiated by Karo and Ava’s face lights up when we call her this. Sidenote, this girl loves Kit-Kats, give her a kit-kat and you have hung the moon.  The other day I was listing off all of Ava’s attributes that God has given her that I just love… she turned her nose up when I said she was sweet, beautiful, and kind (Which of course she IS and I will never stop telling her that!) But when I said you are spunky she got a huge SMILE and squealed “YES mom I AM SPUNKY!” So Spunky Monkey is what we call her a lot these days.

Ditty calls Ava “motion” which is very fitting.   She reminds me of a pinball bouncing between two bumpers when I watch her play.  She loves to ride her bike, play outside, catch bugs, sing songs, boss Austin around, and read books.  The only kryptonite to her energy is her blankie, lovie, and finger.  This trio puts her into a catatonic state.  She hids her little face under her lovie and zones out while she rhythmically sucks her pointer finger. 

Her book series and show of choice is Curious George. I think she likes the predicaments George gets himself into.  Case in point pictured below.  In one episode George spread flour around his apartment to pick up the tracks of an escaped lizard and he was praised for doing so. 

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When Ava showed up like this in the office doorway I snapped this picture and started laughing.   Somehow it didn’t seem as funny when I saw my flour covered kitchen,  thus no more pictures as my laugh turned into a “yikes!'”  Let me say though that Ava is a VERY good, sweet little girl.  She is strong-willed at times… gotta love that cliché we parents use, for real though what three year old isn’t Winking smile.  Above all Ava has a super precious heart and is learning to obey so beautifully.  I love that child!

Ava raves about her friends from “school”- our mother’s day out program.  She asks to go everyday so she can see her pals.  She is a social little lady. 

Lately she’s enjoyed our “chit-chat times.”  I’ve been setting aside 15 solid minutes a day or so where we aren’t doing any activities, or I’m not busy with the daily grind or Austin and I just let her ramble on… and on.. and on…. and on… and on…. and on… and I listen attentively.  I will have to get this recorded because that girl loves to hear herself talk and seems so pleased to have me as her captive audience.

Ava’s choice conversations these days are about God and this delights me to no end.  She busts out jumping and singing “Praise the Lord” quite a few times each day and has the best three year old philosophies on God.  She tells me all the time “God is so sweet, Jesus loves me!”  Oh yes he does Ava Claire! She likes to talk about Jesus living in heaven and in hearts. She asks to see Jesus daily and I tell her that when she is a big girl she can ask him to stay in her heart forever. She told me yesterday “Mom, I’m NOT going to be allergic to peanut butter in heaven and Jesus is going to play with me.” I am so thankful for Greg and my home, our family, her teachers at church and at her school who are teaching her all about the Lord and his love.  I believe that she is not too young to start loving God and understand his provision.  Whenever she hurts herself she always asks to pray.  We thank God that he made our bodies in a way that boo-boos heal and when her boo-boo gets better she is not ashamed to tell everyone that God helped her.

My favorite time of day with Ava is when we tuck her in a night.  Greg and I sing, pray, and tell her stories.

Ava’s favorite healthy foods are still spinach, strawberries, blackberries, avocados, cooked carrots, yogurt, apples, plums, cheesy broccoli, tahini toast and cauliflower.  Her favorite treat foods are KIT-KATS, the chick-fil-a vanilla kids cone, tic-tacs, Daddy’s steaks and ribs or “Wibs” as she calls them, and the golden egg.  Ditty hides a golden egg at her house each time we go over, it is usually filled with some little chocolate candy.

Ava cracks us up when she uses the term “peanut butter.”  She knows that she is allergic and it must be a b-a-d thing so she will sometimes say “You are a Peanut Butter!” and laugh and laugh.  She in a glutton for punishment when it comes to tickle fights.  She loves to be tickled hours on end (for real, not consecutively but asks to be tickled non stop)  She squeals and gets the most mischievous look when she sneaks up on Boo, Austin, Daddy or me to tickle us.

She is SO very helpful with Austin, such  a wonderful sister and I’m really enjoying having her help these days. She likes to cook with me and anytime I’m doing a cake she likes to help.  I give her a little ball of fondant or an icing bag and she mimics everything I’m doing on the real cake.

She does like to listen to books with her blankie, lovie, finger trio.  I most enjoy her rendition of each story after we read it and it is her turn to “read” the book.  I am so thankful she is into books at this stage, love that time with her.  

And about her Daddy, oh boy does she light up when her daddy comes home.  I like to ask Ava what she is thinking about when we are driving, music off, at quiet times.  Last week her answer was “I’m thinking about my daddy coming home.”  The week before that she asked me “Mommy what are you thinking about?” My response was “I’m thinking about how much I love you. What are you thinking about Ava?” Ava: “I’m thinking about ice-cream!”

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