Braving the Storm

Hurricane Irene made landfall in North Carolina earlier this morning. While the eastern half of the state has been dealing with less than desirable weather today, the western half of the state (our part of the state) has been experiencing nothing more than clouds, wind, and perfect temperatures for being outdoors. Our little family of 3 decided to take advantage of the breezy day, and spend it together.

First up: The Natural Science Center. What a great day to go! I assume that most people in Greensboro thought that they would be blown away if the stepped outside today because hardly anyone was at the Science Center... Which works out great when you have a 20 month old that likes to run from animal exhibit to animal exhibit like a mad woman.

Ava carefully counted the meerkats. "Uhn, Doo, Tee, Or, Ice!"

We looked at the tortoises. Poor guys, they are in serious need of some ash relief. 

Ava climbed on a giant blue frog.

And picked up acorns while we walked.

Ava ran and stomped up and down the walkway to the wolves. There is a sign at the entrance to the walkway that says, "Shhh. Please no running or stomping... It might scare the baby wolves." I guess since Ava can't read, she can't be held accountable... But we can. Oops.

Even though this next critter is technically not an exhibit at the Natural Science Center, I felt it was worthy of a picture. One, because he is strangely beautiful, and two, because he is stinkin' HUGE!

We played in meerkat tunnels.

Ava even got adventurous and went in some of the tunnels by herself.

As we were walking up to the petting zoo, Ava was squealing with excitement. After we entered the petting zoo, the excitement was gone. This was as close as she would get to her favorite barnyard animal.

Is it wrong that I call a spider 'strangely beautiful' and that I call this turkey just... strange?

I'm not sure which Ava liked better: Watching the otters? Or violently shaking the chain fence? Probably the latter.

After the Natural Science Center, we headed over to my brother's new apartment. As soon as we pulled in the parking lot, Ava starting screaming with joy. She knows that Ryan's apartment means one thing, and one thing only.... All the M&Ms she can get her hands on. It didn't take any time at all for Ava to figure out how to twist the lever... 

Lift the little door...

And enjoy the reward... x 100.

After a nice nap, we continued our family day by checking out the scuppernong grapes in our backyard. They still need another week or two to ripen up, but that didn't stop Ava from eating a few this evening.

We played in the fort, with a pink pool noodle.

And went down the slide, again, and again, and again.

We played hard all day, so that means we ate hard at dinner... As is evident by the black bean/chocolate chip cookie smudges all over Ava's mouth.

To top off our family day, we headed to my favorite place (and Ava's too). Need I say more?... 

I love my family more than words can express, and I am so thankful for the uninterrupted, relaxed, kicked back days I get to spend with my wonderful husband and daughter. Hurricane, or not. :)

The Big Move

So, this post is long overdue, but better late than never... right? About 2 1/2 weeks ago, my brother packed up his belongings in Apex, and moved 70 miles northwest to Greensboro! Ryan started a new job that required him to relocate, and we're so glad that he did!

I love Greensboro, and thoroughly enjoy living here. It just makes it that much more wonderful to have someone from my very own family living here with me. Ava loves getting to see her uncle 'eye-in' every evening for dinner as well. Ryan's new apartment in less 2 miles from our house, and a 3 minute bike ride away. Oh, and did I mention Ryan's apartment complex has a pool? Let me reiterate how happy I am that he now lives so close. :)

This evening after dinner, the unthinkable happened.... Ryan chaged a diaper. For the first time. Ever! He has been staying away from diaper duty as if it were the plague. Well, somedays 'plague' would be an understatement for what is in Ava's diaper... but that's another story. I do have to say that for his first diapering experience, he had it pretty easy. Just minutes before, Ava had used the big girl potty, so no cleaning was necessary on Ryan's part, just putting on a clean diaper. For a first timer, he did a great job!

Ryan, we're so glad to have you in town with us! Congratulations on the new job and congratulations on the new apartment! We love you and are always here for you!

They Melt In Your Mouth...

....And keep melting, and melting, and melting!

In my last post, I mentioned that Ava gets rewarded with an M&M every time she uses the big girl potty. Now maybe you're like me, and devour any M&M in 0.25 seconds. Or, maybe you're like my daughter, and you can somehow magically keep the same M&M in your mouth for over 30 minutes.

Is there such a category in the Guinness Book of World Records as, "The slowest melting M&M?" If there isn't... there should be. And if there is... Ava would totally win!

Here she is 5 minutes after receiving her green M&M.

Still protecting her precious M&M while practicing her ballet on our kitchen chair.

10 minutes later... still melting.

 

This is my favorite: When you say, "Ava, show me your M&M", her mouth remains sealed tight, but she crouches down, lunges at you, and grunts all at the same time... As if to say, "Don't you understand? I can't possibly show you my M&M! If I were to show you my M&M, it's chocolatey goodness would come spilling out of my mouth!"

20 minutes later...

Almost gone.

Good thing she doesn't use the potty every 30 minutes, or she would constantly have an M&M melting in her mouth.

Potties Are for Big Girls...

...And Ava is definitely a big girl!

The word potty (or as Ava says, "pah-eee"), has become part of everyday speech in the Gardner household. We are by no means stressing the use of the potty with utmost importance, but when Ava tells us she has to go... why not? With that said, as long as we are in the house, Ava tells us when she has to use the potty about 75% of the time (and that includes both #1 and #2). When we are outside, or anyplace other than home, all bets are off. The times Ava will tell us she has to go potty when we are out and about are few and far between. And honestly.... that is perfectly fine with me for now.... I am in no rush to have Ava use public restrooms. I mean, I need to let the girl be 100% potty trained before I teach her how to hover. :)

Alright, now let me introduce you to 'The Crew' that makes using the big girl potty possible. From left to right, Baby, Puppy, and Froggie. The Crew can consist of many possible combinations of Ava's stuffed animals, but tonight, these were the three she wanted. As soon as Ava tells us she has to go potty, she searches the house for the toys/stuffed animals she wants, carries them into the bathroom, and says, "atch" (watch). Apparently Ava likes an audience while using the bathroom. At some point in the future, we will have the "potty time is a private time" discussion. For now though, if having her toys makes Ava use the bathroom, The Crew will be in their proper spot.... Sitting on the towel rack on the wall opposite the toilet... Watching.

There are few places Ava enjoys being more than on the potty. I'm serious. She will throw a full-blown fit if we take her off the potty before she is ready. Don't judge. At least she looks cute while sitting on her throne.

After doing her business, Ava is rewarded with an M&M. Ava gets to choose the color and her first choice is always green. Ava will continue to pick green until every single one of them is gone. Then brown, followed by yellow, orange, blue and red. The picture below was taken when I said, "Daddy is going to go get you a green M&M!"

Oh, the excitement!

This particular night, we picked Ava up from the potty and moved her right over to the bath tub.... Another one of her favorite places to be. As per usual, she acted like a complete goober while getting squeaky clean!

Sprayground Fun

This morning, Ava and I hitched a ride with our friends, the Holbrooks, and headed over to the local sprayground. Who knew that Greensboro had such a place? Not me! Thanks Lauren, for introducing us to such a fun, and FREE place for the kids to play!

At first, Ava would only get as close to the water as the sidewalk would take her. As soon as she reached the edge, she would stop on a dime and come running back to me.

Eventually, Ava got brave enough to step off of the sidewalk and tip toe over to the water features.

But about 3 feet before reaching the water, she would turn around, and again, come running back to me. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Then... It happened....

Ava tip-toed over to one of the water fountains and on her way there, a completely different, and dormant water fountain sprang into action and caught Ava by surprise. This is what she looked like when she saw the unexpected water come up out of the ground.

And this is what she looked like 3 seconds later.

Ava immediately came running over to me, rubbed her hands through her hair and proudly stated, "et!" (wet) And that little surprise incident was all it took to break the ice. Ava spent the rest of the afternoon getting, as she says, "et."

Before too long, it was time to step away from the sprayground and eat lunch.

Knowing she could return to the sprayground as soon as she finished her lunch, Ava inhaled her food (and oatmeal chocolate chip cookie) at lightening speed.

Tummy full and energy restored, Ava continued playing with all of the fun things the sprayground has to offer. Like the yellow squirt gun.

And the red squirt gun.

Ava even figured out how to have a squirt gun fight with another sprayground attendee.

While Ava kept exploring all of the fun spray toys, she kept a close eye on the big, bad, green machine seen below. Ava made sure not to get anywhere close to the green contraption and the colorful buckets that randomly dumped water on innocent children below. Then all of a sudden, Ava spotted a little boy, about her size, go running over to said green contraption and play under it's buckets. Not to be outdone, Ava bravely marched over to the boy as if to say, "See, I can stand under the buckets too!" While the two of them were chatting in their own language, the red bucket unleashed it's pouring power, and dumped water just feet away from where the kiddos were standing. That was the last time Ava got anywhere close to the buckets for the rest of the afternoon. Maybe she'll be a bigger fan during our next trip.

When it was all said and done, Ava had a great time at the sprayground! Thanks again, Lauren, for introducing us to such a fun place to spend our hot, summer days! We will definitely be back!

Pool Day

This past weekend we went to go visit my parents. The temperature outside was 104 degrees. There is only one thing to do when it is that hot... go swimming!

Our day started by grabbing what we could carry, and walking over to the pool.

Ava was excited to jump in and splash around with Oma and Opa.

Then, the craziness began. If you regularly follow this blog, then you know that when Matt and my brother get near a swing set, they like to compete to see who can jump off the highest, farthest, craziest.... Apparently the same rules apply at a swimming pool. The only difference is that at a pool, Matt and Ryan can land however they want to, and not get hurt.

My brother looks like he has been decapitated.

While the boys practiced their jumping skills, Ava enjoyed a snack....

And some smooches from Oma...

And soaking up the sun.

More jumping.

And more....

I couldn't sit on the sidelines anymore, so I got in on the action. As seen in the following picture, I didn't master the technique, or distance to be captured on film the first go-around.

My brother and I thought this next one would be great. Our plan was to jump in the air, facing each other, while doing a karate kick. The only problem... we actually managed to kick each other. Owie.

I wouldn't call it perfection, but you can at least see both of us, and no one got hurt.

Not to be out done, my dad joined the jumping party.

At the end of the day, all 3 men decided to spell out Ava's name. From left to right: My brother, making one of the strangest A's I've ever seen. My dad, making what looks like a Y, instead of a V. Matt, making the most recognizable letter in the bunch. Unfortunately, Ava was not impressed.

Thanks, Oma and Opa, for letting us cool off in your neighborhood pool!