Nothing Compares

So, last night, I sat down with every intention of writing and publishing another blog post. I have written 100+ over the past year and a half and typically, blogging comes pretty easy to me. I think about what I want to write, type my thoughts through the keyboard and Bam! Blog Post! This was not the case last night, however. I had a serious case of writer's block. Perhaps blogger's block is the more accurate term.

No matter how hard I tried to come up with witty comments, stories and captions for all of the pictures from our Easter weekend, nothing seemed worth writing. Nothing was coming out the way I wanted it to. That's when I realized that there was nothing I could say to compare to the love that God showed to us many years ago on that cross. Nothing could compare to Jesus defeating the grave. Simply put, I just felt silly trying to fit the word "egg" into as many other words as possible (ex: eggcellent) and emphasizing all of the events that took place this past weekend instead of emphasizing THE EVENT that took place 2000 years ago. Nothing compares...

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:9-11

As I continue this post, please know that again, these pictures (or any pictures, or anyTHING) cannot and should not compare to the resurrection of our Lord! I share these photos with you though, as a testimony to the grace, love and mercy Christ has bestowed on our family.

"Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Egg Hunt at the Holbrook's

Egg Hunt at home, with my parents

 They really do melt in your mouth, not in your hand...

Dying Eggs

Snuggling with Oma 

Easter Basket

My wonderful family

Proof that God's timing is perfect :)

Enjoying a bike ride around the neighborhood.

Egg Hunt #3: Fergie found the eggs before Ava did. Fergie also ate all of the candy before Ava even stood a chacne... aluminum Reese's wrappers and all.

Fotunately, I had extra eggs and extra candy... and the egg hunt continued... without Fergie.

Ava loves the newly added sand beneath her swing set.

Zoobilee Zoo

...Magic and wonder are waiting for you!

I hope that song gets stuck in your head too. I'd hate to be the only person walking around singing a theme song to an 80's show where adults are dressed up as animals.

Ava may never experience the awesomeness of Zoobilee Zoo (unless one day she stumbles upon it on Nick at Nite), but yesterday she got to experience the North Carolina Zoo, and let me say, the latter is much less creepy than the former.

At about 9am, 4 moms, 6 kids, 4 strollers and endless snacks & diapers piled into 2 minivans and traveled down 220 to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro. This is what the kids looked like in the Pearman van. I'd like to think that the 3 of them were so excited, they didnt know what to do. Yeah, that's what I'll keep telling myself...

We saw pretty much every animal the zoo has to offer. Here are a few of the critters I managed to get a picture of.

The sunbathing alligators. I couldn't help but think that my 2 nephews wouldn't be the least bit interested in this particular exhibit. I can just hear Jack now, "I can see an alligator anytime I want. All I have to do is go out in my backyard." Don't get me wrong, I love the Lowcountry, but having alligators as backyard wildlife makes me thankful I live in Greensboro.

We got up close and personal with a polar bear.

We also saw the polar bear from afar... which is my preferred gazing distance.

Gorillas, or as Ava kept saying, "Ah ah ah!" (Her sound for a monkey)

And swamp ghosts. What? Apparently they are nothing more than albino alligators. Extra creepy.

One of my favorite stops yesterday was to see the zebras and giraffes. It was evident that this was Ava's favorite stop too since she could not stop pointing at the animals and saying, "Wow!"

At some point during the day, us moms caught a glimpse of how the animals must feel while being stared at by people. We too, were stared at by people as we made our way through the zoo. I mean, wouldn't you stare also if you saw 4 giant orange and blue strollers, being pushed by 4 moms with 6 kids who may or may not have been screaming? This is what our group looked like every time we parked the strollers to get out and look at the animals. From left to right: Haven, Finley, Tucker, Ava, Matt and Jack.

Remember how I mentioned that the kids may or may not have been screaming? Let me show you an example of "may not have been screaming." This precious baby angel is Haven. This was her first trip to the zoo, and she slept through about 95% of it. She made the trip very easy on her mom... but I am curious how she did that night. If a baby sleeps all day, she's gotta be awake at some point, right? Let's hope Haven didn't decide to be the life of the party at 3am.

In between animal watching, diaper changing, and walking around, Ava stuffed her face with her new favorite snack... pretzels.

This is what our potty breaks looked like. 2 of the 6 kids (and all 4 moms) are potty trained, which required a few extra stops throughout the day. 2 moms stayed and watched the parked strollers while the other 2 moms did bathroom duty. I am glad that I was in charge of the strollers, and for that matter, glad that Ava is still in diapers!

By the end of the day, both moms and kids were pretty worn out. For the moms, the day went something like this:

-Push kids and gear around in stroller

-Park stroller

-Take kid(s) out of the stroller

-Walk over to look at animal(s)

-Put kid(s) back in stroller

-Push kids and gear in stroller

-Snack time

-Push kids and gear in stroller

-Potty time

-Repeat x 100

Who needs to go to the gym when you can take your kids to the zoo?

Finny-Finnster understands what it means to chill. Legs up, reclined, fingers in mouth... life is good.

Matt caught on to the whole chillin' thing too, while big brother Jack took a snooze.

All in all, great day at the zoo. Ava and I had a blast! Considering it only cost us $5 to get in the park, we'll definitely be back again... Hopefully next time Matt will be with us!

Spring Flingin' It

We've been blessed with some amazing weather lately, and Ava and I have enjoyed almost every minute of our time outside!

I bought some sidewalk chalk for Ava's Easter basket. As you can see, the chalk never made it to Ava's Easter basket. Instead, the chalk went from the Target shopping bag, to the driveway... right where it belongs. Ava had a blast pulling out all of the colors and scribbling all over the cement.

When she was finished coloring, Ava decided to play a little game of toss with the pieces of chalk. Amazingly, we only suffered one chalk fatality this particular afternoon (you know, when the chalk gets thrown a little too hard and breaks into several pieces).

No time outside is ever complete without playing with the tulips. I am sad to say that our tulips no longer look as beautiful as seen in the picture below. Ava has pretty effectively removed the majority of the petals from the stems. I know she doesn't pull the petals off out of anger or disobedience, rather, out of pure curiosity. Actually, after pulling the petals off, Ava typically kisses each one and then tries to put them back in their proper place. The petals don't stick, of course, so our sidewalk is left looking like a bride is about to march out of our house at any moment.

I know in an earlier post I had mentioned having picnics on "Fun Friday." Well, we pretty much have a picnic any day that the weather is nice. Friday or not. In other words... We ate outside a lot last week. Applesauce, strawberries, edamame and PB & J. Yum!

Today, my brother and Kayla came to visit us. The majority of our morning was spent indoors due to the rain and severe weather outside. Once the storms passed, and Ava (and my brother) finished napping, we headed to the park. Even though the rain and clouds had disappeared, the wind managed to stick around. See what I mean?

One of the best things about having a kid is being able to act like a kid yourself. Matt and Ryan proved this point quite well when they decided to get off the swings the old fashioned way... jumping. Matt looks like he is giving a salute, while my brother looks like a gigantic letter 'x'. Or Stretch Armstrong. I can't decide.

It is a rare thing when we are able to get a family picture with all 3 of us. Today was especially rare because while my brother took the picture, Kayla kept Ava looking in the general direction of the camera. Bonus!

When we were done swinging, sliding, playing and acting like kids, we took a nice leisurely stroll back to the car. Does she look like a child of the 80's or what? Hello stripes and Rainbow Brite!

After all that playing, we really worked up an appetite. We inhaled our dinner and Kayla surprised Ava with a chocolate chip cookie. I'm pretty sure it is a requirement for friends and family to spoil children with sweets, right? Even if it's not a requirement, I'm sure Ava didn't mind... And I didn't either, especially since Ava gave me a bite. :)

Ava's once clean face ended up looking like this. And yet again, another requirement, this time for kids: Get as much food on your face as you do in your tummy.

Thanks Ryan and Kayla for making the trip to see us. Please come again soon! You are welcome anytime!

Delicate Dipper

Cookies and milk. Peanut butter and jelly. Birthday cake and ice cream. Burgers and fries. You can't have one without the other, right? In Ava's case, it goes a little something like this: Ketchup and EVERYTHING! Ava has always been a fan of ketchup. Recently though, she has become a fan of dipping all of her food in ketchup... herself. I have to admit, the controlling, type-A side of me about had a panic attack the first time Ava dipped her food independently. Fortunately, I have a daughter who does not like to get her fingers dirty. As you can see, she is a very delicate dipper...

Spring Time Shoogie

For the most part, I love spring. I love the warm temperatures, evening thunderstorms, seeing everything turn green, the smell of fresh cut grass, being outside... The things I don't like? Pollen and bees. I know they kind of go hand in hand, but I am highly allergic to pollen and highly terrified of bees. Too bad pollen and bees are kind of necessary for spring to 'spring into action.'

Ava, aka Shoogie, loves spring time as well. Ava loves being outside, no matter what time of day or temperature it may be. So it's nice that spring offers the perfect amount of daylight and warmth (before the squelching heat of summer arrives) to spend our days outside. Last April (2010), Ava was quite fascinated with the tulips in our front yard. Ava was only 4 months old in the picture below.

This April is no different. Except for the fact that now:

1. Ava can point to the flowers and say, "Ooooh, pri-pee (Oh, pretty)"

2. Ava can walk up to the flowers and through the flowers

3. Ava can viciously grab the flowers

4. Ava can pull the petals off of the flowers

Ok, so maybe this April is slightly different than last April. Either way, we managed to get a few cute pictures of Ava with the tulips... while they still have most of their petals.

Sweet 16

Several weeks ago, teeth #15 and #16 started making their appearance in Ava's mouth. The teeth have since completely broken through her gums, and today, they have been giving Ava a run for her money. While I hate that Ava is experiencing pain, I am loving how cuddly she is today. Anytime I pick her up, Ava puts her head on my shoulder, wraps her arms around my neck and lets out a quiet, "Oh." ...As if to say, "Oh Mommy, it feels so good being held in your arms. Can I stay here all day?" Poor girl, but teething is an inevitable part of growing up. Matt and I are thankful that Ava is developing right on track, but we are praying that God will ease her pain!

Ava showed off her 16 pearly whites this morning while saying cheese (deese) for the camera. Click on the photo to zoom in and get the full effect. 6 teeth on the top, 6 teeth on the bottom and all 4 1-year molars are present and accounted for. On a side note, take a look at Ava sporting her sunglasses, pajamas, bed head and blanket. A little crazy, I know, but she sure looks ready to hit the road and take a run with me!

While we're on the 'teeth' topic, let's talk brushing. On any given morning or night, you can find Ava walking around our living room, brushing her own teeth. I figure a little independent practice is necessary, right? After a few minutes of brushing on her own, I enter the scene, just to make sure Ava has thoroughly cleaned every nook and cranny in her mouth. Half of the time, she accepts my help with a smile and allows me to finish the job. Like this....

The other half of the time, well.... She kicks, flails, screams and fights me.

I even have to resort to pinning her arms under my knees while trying to render her head motionless with my legs. It is an exhausting and hilarious event, I must say. Fortunately, like previously mentioned, Ava only rejects my dental hygienic help about 50% of the time.

I am not exactly sure when this happened. At one point, Ava always welcomed my help during brushing time... enjoyed it even. This is a battle I will ultimately win! It may take some time, but Mommy will prevail! Hmm... All of a sudden I have Kelly Clarkson's "Miss Independent" in my head right now. Wonder why? :)



Pink Piggies. Monkey Face. Gone. Birthdays.

Pink Piggies: Every girl loves a good pedicure, right? Well yesterday, I pulled out the nail polish and jazzed up Ava's little toe nails... And boy, do I mean LITTLE! She sat very still while I painted and when I was done, Ava let out an, "Ooooooooooooh!" I am trying to balance out her love for basketball with something a little girly. :)

Monkey Face: We don't know how it started, but for the past week or so, when you ask Ava to do a 'Monkey Face,' this is what you see.... Well, kind of. Normally, Ava's Monkey Face is a bit more exaggerated than what you see below... Eyes super squinted, nose super scrunched and lips super puckered. She also breathes really hard in and out through her nose.

Gone: My first car. 16 years old. 175,000 miles. No, it didn't spontaniously combust, my beloved Acura Integra is now under new ownership. We sold it to my brother last week.... So it's still in the family. :) My brother has one of the largest pick-up trucks on the planet, and it costs him just under $400/month in gas. Yikes! So, in an attempt to save some money driving bavck and forth to work, he now owns this classy ride.

Birthdays: This past week has been a busy birthday week in the Gardner/Smith/Kincaid family. First up, Matt's paternal grandmother, Blanch (Gammy). On April 5th, she turned 84 years young! Happy Birthday, Gammy!

Second Birthday goes to my dad, who turned the big 6-0 today! Happy Birthday, Opa!

And last, but certainly not least, Matt's maternal grandfather, Jimmy (DeDa), who today, turns 77! Happy Birthday, Deda!