Trains!

This past weekend Meme took us to the train hot spot in Sidney, a little park with tracks running past.  Typically there are trains parked nearby, but when we arrived there were none to be found.  We took a little walk down to the tracks and Daddy found railroad spikes for everyone.  As to be expected, Dawson has been carrying his around all week.  Finally the train gods smiled upon us and we saw a train rushing by.  Everyone was waving and Dawson was in awe.  The train even tooted its horn for us (Meme told him the train was saying Daw-Son).  He has told EVERYONE that we run into (neighbors, teachers, friends, complete strangers) about this experience.  What a fun memory!

Four and a Half!

Our Little Avarooni,

On Monday you were four and a half years old!  It's hard to believe that you aren't the my tiny toddler anymore with your baby fine hair and pudgy sticky fingers (because lets be honest, all toddlers have sticky fingers!)  You are growing into such a sweet beautiful little girl.  Look!

 

 

We got a juicer!  And Ava loves herself some yummy green juice!

Recently I had a stranger come up to me and comment "she looks just like a young Liz Taylor."  After a little googling, I have to say that I agree.  I know I might be just a bit biased, but you really are such a beautiful little girl.  Of course there is so much more to you than that, I love your silliness, your giggles, your facial expressions are hilarious!  Ava, you are developing a wonderful friendship with your little brother.  When Carter is around you gravitate toward him, but with Carter at kindergarten, you and Dawson have been playing together a lot.  Most of the time you are very sweet and loving with him.  Of course, there are tussles and scuffles here and there, but what would a sibling relationship be without those? 

 

Churning some butter at the Pioneer House

Now that you are in preschool, you have become such a social little girl.  Your calendar is filling up quickly with three playdates this week and a Halloween party next week.  We go to a library story time with three friends from school and one from ballet.  It is so fun for me to sit back and watch you carry on little conversations with your friends.  Our neighbor Julia has become one of your best friends, and it is so sweet to watch you two dress up and play princesses together and then hug and kiss goodbye.  You always want to send Julia home with a toy or trinket to play with, you are very generous. 

 

 

Enjoying a good book with Dora at the Library

I have to say that four has been an amazing age for you.  You have settled on a shorter hair style, which has been much easier for your Dad and I to maintain.  Watching you hone your bike riding skills has been fun to watch, you are so much stronger now peddling up steep inclines with ease.  Swimming is also a new skill you are developing.  You can paddle a couple of feet without help.  I love that you are becoming so independent with zippers/buttons and of course buckling the car seat.  It's so funny because you always make Daddy come back to buckle you up even though you are very capable of doing it yourself.  Your interests are all over the place:  princesses, unicorns, fairy tales and gymnastics.  

 

Mommy take a picture of my creation!

You have taken an intense interest in coloring, writing and drawing.  Your drawings are becoming much more detailed and accurate.  One morning you spent over an hour writing anyone's name that I would spell for you:  Mom, Dad, Carter, Avery, Dawson, Julia, Danny, Meme, and Bo.  I love to watch your color: you are doing so well at staying in the lines, using multiple colors (every picture looks like a rainbow!) and concentrating for 10-15 minutes at a time on one sheet.  We are also working hard on writing your numbers and counting to 25.  Many times you count 13-14-16 and skip 15 altogether!  There is so much to learn, but you are soaking it up like a little sponge.  

 

I love your cheesy smile for the camera

I love hearing you pray at night, and tell me what you are thankful for.  Tonight you said you were thankful for Mommy's veins.  Me too!  Usually you are thankful for Mommy, mommy's hair, something along those lines.  Although I think it has become a competition between Carter and you to find the silliest thing to be thankful for.


I love you my beautiful, sweet, wonderful four and a half year old!


 

Fall Farm Frenzy!

This weekend we went to visit the Sidney clan which now consists of Nana, Meme, Bob Bob, Aunt Margie, Brendan, Riley, Eddie, Myla, and a bunch of cats.  Maybe even a partridge in a pear tree?  It was a full, loud, fun crazy house and we enjoyed every minute of it.  We went to a local farm that has all kinds of activities for the kids to do. 

 

 

 

Ava looks up to her big cousin Riley

 

I was laughing SO HARD when we asked Brendan to hold Dawson.  He started with a sort of basket hold and then attempted to put him on his hip.  I can't even explain the hilarious positions they were both in, but luckily Aunt Margie saved the day and got him positioned correctly.

 

 

Carter and Doc both enjoyed the hay bales stacked up to jump and crawl on.  Dawson was so adventurous and jumped off the walls approximately three feet high!  Luckily there was a nice soft cushion to break his fall.

 

King of the Mountain!!!

 

A hay ride of enjoyable length

 

Corn Maze

 

It was a little too corny for us, though.

 

(AH HA HA HA!!)

 

There was a platform to see the whole maze from above

 

A little Corn spy

 

I don't remember why Dawson had his grumpy old troll face on.

 

Avey girl and her Bob Bob

 

Petting Zoo Fun!

 

Riley was our little animal lover.  She named the horses Patches and wanted to take it home with her.  Thankfully two dogs and four cats are enough pets for any family!

 

Ava pondering the deep truths of the universe.  Or maybe just debating on running or jumping next?!?!?

 

Mini Golf pandemonium with five kiddos running around.

 

No injuries this time, hooray!!!!!

 

 

Ava's Gymnastics Class

Ava has recently started a gymnastics class and she LOVES it.  They have so much fun and she really loves learning the different skills.

 

 

 

She is really good at balancing on the balance beam.

 

Her somersaults leave a little to be desired.  She hasn't figured out how to tuck her head under so she ends up rolling sideways instead of forward.  In fact this picture looks like downward dog!

 

And this looks like a head stand instead of a somersault.

 

I'm so glad she found something that she enjoys.

Open House at the Safety Center

What a fun filled busy weekend, we also stopped by the Open House at the Safety Center.  It consists of Fire, Paramedic, SWAT, police and Township Trustees Offices.  The open house was so much fun for the kids, they got to dress up like firefighters, squirt the hose, climb in the back of a police car, sit in jail and look at the fire trucks.  There was also hot dogs, cotton candy, cookies, muffins and candy flowing freely, everyone's favorite part!

 

Although Daddy liked checking out the SWAT equipment pretty well too.

 

 

 

 

Firefighter Carter!

 

Firefighter Ava!

 

 

Firefighter Dawson!

 

Petting the Fire Dog

 

A real, live fire pole!

 

Love these three.

Uncle Jason's Birthday

 

This weekend we drove up to visit Grandma, Bo, Uncle Jason, Aunt Tiffany and the ANDREW!  He is getting so big and this was the first time we got to see him crawling.  While Uncle Jay and Daddy (Carter too!) worked on clearing out some brush in the backyard we got to play, play, play.  Sweet Aunt Tiffany had all sorts of crafts set up for the kids to play with, and my three hurricanes quickly made a wreck out of their basement and living rooms.  Thank you for everything guys, we had such a great time!

 

 

This was one of the first times Dawson took interest in holding Andrew.  Poor Andrew is not so sure about what is happening, and look at slinky in the background.  He is checking to make sure that strange kid isn't hurting his little brother!

 

Grandma reading with our Dockie Boy

 

Deee-licious cake with pumpkin icing!

 

 

I took some pictures of this adorable little family

 

 

 

 

 

and my three couldn't stay out of the spotlight either.  What a fun day!

 

All My Friends

Dawson has taken a liking to a green rubber dinosaur from the toy room.  It goes EVERYWHERE with us.  Today he had evidently taken angel baby and the dinosaur out to the garage and left them in the wagon.  At nap time I couldn't find them, but as usual he was content with holding my hand instead.  Fast forward to four hours later and we went out to ride bikes.  He found his angel baby and dinosaur and he was SO HAPPY!  He ran inside grabbed his Momma blanket and threw his body on the floor yelling "ALL MY FRIENDS ARE TOGETHER AGAIN!"  This kid makes me laugh a million times a day!

He brings his dinosaur regularly to kindermusik and Miss Debbie asked him "Is that a T-Rex?"  He responded quite vehemently "No, it's a dinosaur!"  How dare Miss Debbie call HIS dinosaur a T-Rex!