The nerve

Well look what Ava did this week.  Did she ask me how I felt about her graduating from preschool?  Did she fill out the appropriate, I'm getting older and moving on to the next stage of my life, paperwork?  No she did not.  But what choice do I have really?  I can drag my feet kicking and screaming.  Or smile, take so many pictures that we have to purchase a new hard drive, give her a big hug and tell her how proud of her I am.

Enough with the pictures Mom! 

 I'm going to pretend like I don't see you.

Not looking...

"Your friends are all smiling at me."

 Fine.  I'll cave to the peer pressure.

 Ava's teachers told me she had the perfect "fruit" in the fruit of the spirit skit.  When she held up "self-control" I had to immediately muffle my laughter.  But it all made sense when she went running across the stage screaming and then did a belly flop onto the floor.  

It's her signature move.

 Teacher Deanna

 Miss Aubrey

 Cuteness with Daddy

 Landon, remember him?

 Teacher Kim

 Proud Grandparents

 Ian was on his best behavior and even refrained from calling her "poopy head" for the whole evening. He's reaching his own set of milestones.

 You'll see this one again when I write about her high school graduation and am a blubbering mess.  

Summer negotiations are now underway: icee pops for dinner and a trip to Disneyland with her cousins are tied for the top spot.  I'm going to let her sweat it out awhile before I tell her she can have both.  Congratulations Ava!

Last day of preschool!

Mom, come on!  I'm going to be late for school.

"I'll give you a fruit snack when you get home."

 Ok, I'll be cute.

 How's that?

 "You don't need to try quite so hard honey."

 "Alright, just go in the house and say goodbye to your brother."

 Cheese!

Beauty and the Birds

We've got to soak up these weekday field trips while we can since Ava will be starting school in the fall.  Besides Wednesday morning roller skating I think we'll miss zoo discount days the most.  She cannot get enough of these colorful birds.  She must have had at least ten land on her and take a drink from her little cup.  

 Willa and Ian weren't so sure about the birds but Mama took one (or two) for the team so they could get a closer look.  Such a weird feeling when they're on your arm.

 I think I was audibly shrieking in this photo as one landed briefly on my head and then flew off.

 Joy

 Seeing her in her element makes for one happy mama

 The bird whisperer

 Trying to show Ian how it's done

 He prefers the hands-off approach to bird feeding

 Admiring his big sister as she double fists the lories

 Roar!

 We prefer lion sculptures to actual lions

 Peanut butter and jelly faces

 Tag in the masses

 I love these early warm summer days!

Birthday adventure

This year for our birthdays we received an extra gift from our friend Colleen.  She offered to take our kiddos for the day so we could do a little wandering.  I know, I'm a lucky lucky girl.  It helps that our kids love her and she spoils them rotten.  Can't you tell they were a sad mess when it was time for us to leave?  Thank you Colleen!

After driving east for a good hour and a half we stopped for a twix ice cream bar.  It changed our lives forever.  It was bliss mixed with contentment and wrapped in a rainbow. 

Then we crossed into Washington, parked our car, and summited a cliff.  It was steep and rocky and warm and sort of a cross between the desert and the moors of england.  But more importantly, it was the perfect place to laugh and talk and hold hands.

This little guy wanted to hold hands too, but for obvious reasons we had to move him back to his grassy home and continue on our journey.

Look, it's our car!

He wouldn't let me get ten feet from the edge and then he does this.  

It was so beautiful

But I had a pasta dinner and a hot date waiting

35 now whew...when did that happen?  I'm glad we're still taking our adventures when we can get them.  It may not be the cliffs of Levanto, but I guess you have to start somewhere when the priorities become two brown eyed babies waiting for you at home.  Here's to our mid thirties and the many chapters to come!

love letter part 2

Dear Ava,
Oh, my sweet twinkle toes.  As much as I'm loving our standing two am date discussing various items such as bad dreams about you being a chicken who only laid one egg, itchy noses, mosquito bites and that vicious splinter you got from running around without your shoes on, I have to tell you that things are going to go downhill very quickly unless we reschedule for a more convenient time.  Ian is not the least bit pleased about the aforementioned tricycle incident.  The neighbors became concerned when I backed into the recycling bin so hard it flew into the street.  And I certainly didn't enjoy this morning's orange juice after I had poured it into my cereal.  I love you and I know that these are very serious psychological issues so I've taped a picture of mommy to your bedroom door.  She is more then happy to address any concerns between the hours of 10pm and 7am.
Love,
Zombie Mama

love letter part 1

Dear Ian,
Oh, my sweet little pookie.  I forgive you for casually ripping up the beautiful present I had just wrapped for your dear cousin Elia, using the last shred of wrapping paper that we had in the house.  And I forgive you for then using the adult scissors to cut up the twelve hand curled ribbons into a hundred tiny pieces.  Your pile was very organized.  And I had no idea that you knew had to use scissors so well.  It must have taken a great deal of hand-eye coordination.  Thank you for not cutting up the beautiful tulip dress that was inside.  And for not cutting your hair.  And for not cutting your chubby wubby fingers off.  Not necessarily in that order, ok, maybe a teeny-tiny bit in that order.  I promise that this incident had nothing to do with me running over your radio flyer tricycle this week.  For that we'll blame Ava.

Love,

Mama