Happy Birthday, Dear Avery...

…happy birthday to you!

Like I've said in years past (well, technically just one so far...), Avery’s birthday celebrations have been a whirlwind of fun.

Here’s what we’ve been up to!

The weekend before Avery’s birthday we made a point to spend some quality time together as a family and focus on the wee little one.  And, what better way to do that than to take advantage of this beautiful summer weather?!

Beach babes!

Afternoon activity - pool time with the pool babes!

Our special "birthday event" involved the three of us trekking up to Irvine to visit Pretend City Children’s Museum…and OMG – best destination ever!  Pretend City is a magical place for children featuring a kid-size interactive “town” which includes a grocery store, restaurant, house, garden, bank, performing arts stage and town center among others. Needless to say, Avery had a blast and didn't want to leave.  And, in all honesty, neither did we!

Cutest fire woman this side of the Rockies.

She loved the grocery store.

Liked loved it.

Pretty much her favorite place...

Here she is making a sandwich at Daphne's Greek Cafe.  Ha!

On Avery's actual birthday, we woke her up with kisses, balloons and a few gifts...oh, and a beautifully horrendous, but heartfelt rendition of "Happy Birthday."  (You're lying if you say you can hold a note at 7:00 a.m.)  After a full workday (booooo for working on birthdays) my parents came over for cake with the birthday girl. 

You're two!!

Letting Papa do the work on her new tricycle.

Our silly birthday girl!

Happy birthday, beautiful!

FPT

Totally cake wasted.

Cousin Love

This entire post should be called "FVT."  Get a load of these two girls just loving each other up!

 

Two!

I have this little angel. For me she left her wings.
She has no idea how much happiness she always brings.
She brightens up my days with her smiles and her laughs.
She helps me to remember all the blessings that I have.

Her face, it is so perfect, she's sweet and soft and pure.
Sometimes she can be willful and sometimes she is demure.
She tries her very hardest to please and do what's right.
She gives the greatest hugs from morning until night.

Every person that has known her sees this light within her soul.
I know that in this whole great world, she has a special role.
She's helpful and considerate to everyone she knows.
This light in her shines brighter as my angel grows.

I know that God must love me, He showed me with His Grace.
I knew just how completely when I saw my angel's face.
And in that very moment when she came into my world,
I knew that she was so much more than just my baby girl.

She will be my sunshine, with a sweetness that won't end.
And when she grows up one day she will be my closest friend.
She will be the reason I will always try my best.
For my little angel baby girl will be my greatest test.

When God entrusts to you an angel, who has left her wings for you
Encircle her with love in everything you do.
Let her know God made her, and that He trusts you with her care.
Be sure to make time for special moments with her to share.

And when at night she finally says her prayers and goes to sleep
I thank Him for my angel, and ask for him to always keep
A watchful eye and hand to protect her from this world.
Protect my little angel; protect my baby girl.

I found this poem online and thought it was perfect for us.  Happy second birthday, baby girl!  I love you to the moon and back a thousand times over.

Thank you to all our friends and family who sent gifts, cards, texts, pictures and videos to Avery for her birthday.  We love you all so very much!

Lastly, I would like to make a special announcement that Cole Di Nino has arrived.  He was born on Wednesday, September 19th to ecstatic and blessed parents, Patricia and Chris.  Welcome, Baby Cole!  You are gorgeous!

FPT

Avery - 1 day old

Avery - 730 days old

Adventures with GramCin

*Special Announcement: The first of the three babies has arrived!  Morgan Rae Rooker was born Wednesday, September 12^th to proud parents, Erin and Jake!  Jeff and I went over to meet the newest arrival to our ever-expanding-friends-with-kids-group last night and fell in love.  She is so tiny and just as cute as can be.  Avery is looking forward to meeting her new friend very soon!  Jake and Erin are so happy and very calm.  Naturals, I tell ya!

Now, back to our regular programming...

Jeff’s mom, Cindy ("GramCin"), plays and learns with Avery every Wednesday.  "Play and learn" is a better term to describe their Wednesdays than “babysit” or “watch.”  They pack their special days with library time, art class, play dates and one of Avery's favorite activities, hanging out with Wayne.  Yup, she calls Jeff's dad "Wayne."  This will hopefully morph into "Grandpa Wayne," but for now it's "Wayne," and it gets funnier each time she says it.

Cindy recently got an iPhone, so we've been enjoying her texts on Wednesdays sharing what she and Avery have been up to.  Here are a sampling of picture texts with Cindy's captions:

Avery sharing her art to the delight of her class

Reading books at the library after art class

Preparing for story time just like the big kids!

Legos with new friends

Avery's morning having fun with legos at the library

Avery waiting patiently for her turn at spin art

Avery doing the parachute at San Marcos Community Park!

Open gym!

Library story time

Now it's time for some picture texts with Wayne!

Looked who stopped by to have lunch with Avery!

Avery and Wayne surveying the back 40 looking for Emerald (the cat)

Play date with Quinn.  Sharing cheese fish crackers.  (All the parents were in Vegas at a play date of their own!)

As you can see, Cindy and Wayne always show Avery a good time.  Fun, educational and adventurous.  Perfect combination for this group!  Avery is as lucky to have Cindy and Wayne as grandparents as we are to have them as parents.

FPT

Lollipop smile.

Labor Day Weekend and Some Extras

We decided we wouldn’t look at Labor Day weeked as “summer’s unofficial end,” but rather, the fun summery countdown to Avery’s second birthday.   Hey to the OOOOOO!  Our little Pumpkin Butt (shhhh, don’t tell her I told you that!) is going to be two on September 24^th!  Speaking of Avery and age, Jeff asked Avery how old she was when we were driving in the car last week and she said “one” (this isn’t that crazy, because we talk about it all the time and have shown her how to put up one finger)…but, then he asked “how old will you be on your next birthday?”  She replied in her little toddler voice “two.”  I swear, Jeff almost drove the car off the road!  She either retains more than we ever thought or she’s freakishly smart.  Seeing as Jeff and I are Rhode Scholars, it’s probably the latter. 

So, let's recap our Labor Day weekend (aka - "countdown to two").  It started with me enjoying a spa day on Friday with some girlfriends.  A facial, girl chat and a few bellinis did me good and I was ready to par-tay with the fam!  Avery did not join the spa day, of course, but I thought about her a lot and how I cannot wait to do spa days with her as a treat when she gets older.

On Saturday we “hung out” just the three of us (in toddler terms: drew with chalk, played with baby, squeezed Belle, sat in our new fun frog chair and took a dip in the pool).  On Sunday we went over to the Taits house for a BBQ.  It was a wonderful afternoon with our friends and we are excited to announce that this little group of kiddos is going to double in the next two months.  We have one baby due to arrive in 10 days, one in the beginning of October and the last one just before Thanksgiving.  On behalf of Cody, Stone and Avery, we can’t wait!

The chair options were: frog, tiger, monkey and cat.  It came down to the wire with monkey and frog...

Artsy fartsy.  Good suggestion, Rooks!

Avery, Cody and Stone...aka "The First Three Amigos"

First Three Amigos taking a load off in the pool

2/3 of the First Three Amigos with 2/3 of Second Three Amigos...can you find them?

On Monday we had a street BBQ with our neighbors.  From tri-tip sandwiches to orzo salad, homemade pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and delicious sangria, everyone brought their A game.  We are so fortunate to live in such a fun neighborhood with kids Avery’s age and parents who we get along with so well!

Love this picture!  Note the messy faces, lack of clothes and huge smiles.  Priceless!

Onto our weather update (?!)... We experienced a tropical shower a few weeks ago and that gave me a chance to put Avery in her green rain jacket.  The size says 9 - 12 months, but it fit perfectly.  Sometimes I have to ask...who comes up with these sizes??

Onto our Goad update (?!)... We met up with this cute family recently at Stone Brewery for our somewhat frequent afternoon visit there.  If you live in the area, I would highly suggest you make it to Stone at some point, if only to sit outside in the garden and have a few brewskis.  It's peaceful and beautiful with streams, trees and adirondack chairs scattered throughout.  Oh, and when you're there try the Avery beer.  Yes, you read right.  The Avery beer. 

Cuddling over food.  A good basis for any friendship.

To round out this post I will share some Avery updates:

1) She knows, and can say, all of her colors.  The first three spoken were pink, purple and yellow.  Ha!
2) She loves playing with her baby.  Feeding her, putting her to "na night," rocking her and "shh shh"-ing her are part of our everyday routine.
3) Despite 2 and 3 above, Avery has a "not so girly" edge to her that includes her love of playing outside in the dirt, mud, water and bushes, as well as throwing balls and running around playing chase.  I have to admit, I really like this side of her.  She likes to get dirty and eat bugs.  Be yourself and love yourself.  That's our motto.
4) She loves slides, especially the curly twisty ones.  And, she has learned how to walk up them using her hands and feet.  It sometimes scares me to watch her climb up a standard size slide (I'm always there to catch her should she fall), but when she gets to the top her grin makes me so proud!
5) She has a sweet tooth.  Big time.  Cookies, popsicles, fruit.  You name it, she will eat it.  I am more of a salty carb girl myself, but can appreciate the sweeter side of things too.
6) She still hates napping and car rides for the most part.  I'm beginning to think this may never change.
7) She can say a lot of three word sentences.  "I want some," "momma go outside," and "no down, Belle" are just a sampling.  The last one is her disciplining Belle.  She does it a lot.  I think she likes someone to boss around.  =)

FPT

She's going to hate me for this someday.  (But, how could I not share?!  Look at that tush!)

This and That of July

I'm baaaaa-acccck!

Below is a photo recap of our recent activities.  The first event to highlight is a visit with some of our family from Rhode Island.  To get you in the mood, please listen closely to the video below and note the out-of-this-world East Coast accent that I have known and loved since childhood, and miss dearly being in California:

The woman with the voice and "Baby Helen"

Avery and Helen taking turns pushing each other on the swing...

We love our nieces to pieces!

Papa and his girls

I love my grandma's expression in this one - pure happiness.

Four generations!

Auntie Mare lovin' life on the San Diego Bay

My parents love to sail...I love to sail.  I do not, however, like sharing the water with ginormous boats.

I'll add some more pictures when I get them from my other family members - these were just mine taken from my little ole iPhone.  Hey, it does the job, right?!

Here are some more recent shots...

Jeff and Avery filling the bucket with rocks, leaves and sand.  We have a little nature lover on our hands...and Avery enjoys it too.

Avery loves inclines.  Avery loves nature.  Avery loves going up and down the trail until we have blisters.

My turn; and hike #19,876

Charging through the trail with the gusto of an avid adventurer...

:: heart melts ::

Family BBQ at Jeff's parents.

Love these two!

The tie for the "Best Expression" award.

Forget swimming - I see a camera!

USA summer Olympics diver in 16 years!

Micheal Phelps, Michael Smelps.  This is a gold medal dive in the pool.

A big shout out to Uncle Fred who once again has taken wonderful pictures to capture the special day!  We love you!  And, another shout out to Cousin Jenna and Cousin Ryan as they start their next journey in New York, New York.  We're going to miss you so much!!

FPT

"This is the coolest mirror EVER!!"

Olympics, Look What You Have Done!

You can blame the Olympics for the lack of posting lately.  I am completely, utterly, obsessively enthralled with each and every event this glorious worldly game has to offer.  Obvious loves include: gymnastics, track and field, diving, volleyball and swimming.  But, yes, that was me on my couch glued to the TV last weekend watching trampoline.  Do you see how high they go?!  Spec...wait for it...tacular.

Anyways, after my Vegas trip this weekend (yes, I'm pulling out the Vegas card for the second time in my life) I will post about the past month of activities, which includes the family visit and summer fun, but most importantly, the updates on the wee little one who sleeps in the room down the hall.

Until next week!

FPT

A cozy, warm bed makes for a cozy, warm Avery.