We started our weekend a little early with a morning drive to Big Bear last Friday. A weekend away with Jeff's folks, Uncle Lindsay and Uncle Pat was just what the doctor ordered, so up to the mountains we went! Jeff, Lindsay, Pat and I went skiing on Saturday while the grandparents played with Avery. I didn't last past 11:30 a.m. - how sad, right?! My feet hurt, I was super tired, the slopes were 50% ice and 50% slush...and a beer in the lodge sounded amazing. Those who know me well know that a beer never sounds good to me, so I must have really not been feeling the skiing situation. As it turns out, no one else was feeling it that much either and within an hour we all ended up enjoying a few brewskis in el lodgo.
While we "ski bunnies" were drinking beer, Avery and her devoted grandparents built an awesome house/fort in the yard behind our cabin. So much fun! Here are some pics from the weekend starting with a shot of said house/fort.
We all had fun playing in there!
No caption needed for these hotties.
Cute. Ness.
Sweet kisses...
What a good mommy!
Warming up the hands during our snowball fight.
Fierce snowball fight competitor.
Sledding!
It was a great weekend with our family and if it wasn't for our Sunday plans to look forward to we all would have been depressed about leaving Big Bear.
Our wonderful realtors hosted a taco truck night for our neighborhood on Sunday (tacos on Saint Patrick's Day? Only in San Diego...). Most of our neighbors were able to come and we enjoyed watching the kids play while getting to know each other over tacos and cervezas!
A few of the neighborhood boys and Belle. This was taken right before she ate right of the kids' plates. Belle!
Party in the cul-de-sac. Love this neighborhood!
I had to take one picture of Avery eating straight from the cheese dish before ushering her along!
Tacos, quesadillas and Coronas. Just how Saint Patrick intended it.
Apparently you couldn't buy in the neighborhood if you weren't a 5 year old boy with a toy lazor.
Papa and Avery sharing secrets. =)
FPT
Let's be honest. Funny Picture Time should really be called Cute Picture Time this go around. Look at these two!
Three days a week I drive Avery to my parents’ house or daycare. On the drive we play “I Spy” (our fav as of late), watch videos (Avery only, I swear) and chat about the day and who she’s going to see. This was part of our convo on Monday morning’s drive to my parent’s house:
Me: Who are you going to see today? Avery: Papa and Danda! Me: Yup! Papa and Danda. Avery: Say "Papa." Me: Papa. Avery: You sound like Danda. Me: Why, thank you. Avery: You're welcome.
Ha!
This next conversation was during a rest stop at Starbucks on the drive back from Big Bear last Sunday:
Me: We have a big day ahead of us. We have to get home, take a bath and get ready for the party. Avery: Party? Okay! Me: Yeah, we get to eat tacos and play with our friends, but we have to take a bath first. Avery: That’s a nice idea. FPT
Morning dance routine practice on the counter. And a 5, 6, 7, 8.
We made the big move 4.5 weeks ago and are slowly starting to feel settled. Moving with a youngster has proved to be slightly challenging (read: unpacking with Avery around is literally counterproductive). We take out; she puts back. We move the empty boxes to the living room, she slides them all over the house whilst putting random objects inside said boxes thus providing for more unpacking. It was all fun and games until Jeff and I realized we’ve been here for over a month and the place still looks like we’re squatters. Okay, maybe I’m being a little dramatic. And really, I shouldn’t blame the slow progress on a two year old. It’s more than just her, but she’s more fun to talk about than the fact that Jeff and I work a lot, have busy lives and do enjoy a little late night mindless TV without our attention being on the boxes at hand.
The house is one thing, but the neighborhood?! Well, that’s just Candyland hopped up on Skittles and milkshakes. There are 18 homes on our cul-de-sac, which in and of itself is great…not a lot of cars driving through, plenty of room for the kids to play, etc. These 18 homes have all been built within the last five months, so everyone is the “new neighbor,” and we’re all in the same boat with unpacking, settling in, meeting each other and so on. Want the kicker?! Within these 18 homes are 21 kids between the ages of one and 12 with the majority landing on the younger side. Oh, and you can’t forget about the two babies on the way, which will make the count 23 come June. This is kid paradise. Jeff calls it “constant recess.” And, along with lots of kids come lots of awesome parents. Score!
Here are some photos of our house and neighborhood. I will take more once our place is picture perfect.
The night before the big move - pizza and family at our new home!
The Simpsons chowing down, planning the move. Blurry and all.
Ready for some more big news??
Avery is potty trained! Wahoooo! She exceeded my expectations completely and “got it” within an hour. I have to be honest though, “getting it” is close, but not exactly the same as “getting it and applying it.” We’ve had a few accidents, but way less than I anticipated. I almost cried when she officially went potty for the first time…partly because I was so proud and amazed and partly because she looked so proud and amazed.
In related “big girl” news, Avery is now sleeping in a toddler bed. While this is a great feat, it was spurred on because she jumped out of her crib twice in three days. Thankfully, she never got hurt, but minimizing her risk was a top priority. Avery has had a little trouble adjusting to nights in our new house and our once perfect nighttime sleeper is currently battling some nighttime woes. We are making progress and are keeping positive that Sleeping Beauty returns soon.
Things come in three, right? You betcha! More news - Avery’s hair is now long enough where we can put it in pigtails! So stinking cute. As long as you distract her with candy or TV, she will let you “do a do.” It’s fun and she looks adorable! Jeff and my Mom wanted us to grow her hair out. I was hard to convince because I love her pixie cut. We’ll see what she prefers. She is bound to have an opinion shortly.
Pigtails and potty training. Busy weekend at the Simpsons!
We will keep the updates coming, so check back soon!
FPT
Cooking with Papa during one of our last nights with my folks... =)
I saw a really funny picture on Pinterest the other day that made me laugh.
So true. So very, very true. It was in the 50’s this past weekend and we nearly froze to death. Our big outing Friday evening was going to the mailboxes four houses down. Avery was bundled; I was bundled. Yet, we felt like we were getting frostbite around house #2, so it turned into the fastest mailbox outing on record.
I forgot to post a picture of Avery’s beloved backpack in my last post, so here it is in all its ladybug glory…
This post is a mishmash of updates, but I’m going with it and am hopping on to the next topic... New Years at the Taits!
We ate a delicious meal, had a fun jam sesh and the kids played their tushes off. Both Avery and Cody were sad when it was time for us to leave. Heck, I think we all were. I should admit, though, that we didn’t stay late enough to ring in the New Year (not even East Coast New Year!). We stick to bedtimes in this family and Avery was sound asleep in her bed at 7:30 p.m. and Jeff and I followed suit after we watched the anxiety-inducing, horrendoulsy crowded scene in New York. Just in case that needs further explaining…spending New Years in New York is something I have zero desire to do. Ever.
FPT No matter how cold, this one can always go for a good swing.
But, wait! I have a good excuse! We sold our townhome (herein referenced “house”) and have spent every moment of the past two weeks packing and moving, moving and packing.
Jeff and I bought the house a few months after we got married, so this is where we started the journey of our life as The Simpson Family. This is the house where we brought home our first pet…our wonderful rescue, Belle, who, as much as we talk about giving her away because she sheds so much it’s like a cruel joke, is truly a wonderful pet to have. This is the house where we have hosted countless dinners and gatherings of friends and family…too many special holidays and events to name. I do have to laugh, though, because times have surely changed in regards to this “hosting” I speak of. Back in the day louder, drunker and later parties were the norm. Nowadays, they’re more intimate, sober and scheduled around Avery’s bedtime.
Speaking of Miss Avery, isn’t it so obvious that she is the number one reason why this house means so much to us?! This was the house where we told our parents we were expecting their first grandchild; this was the house that we shared the big reveal with our extended family that we were having a girl. This is the house we brought our tiny newborn home to…where countless friends and family stopped by to meet her for the first time. I could go on and on (more), but I won’t. You get the idea. This house has meant the world to us and while we are sad to leave, we are excited for the journey ahead. We will share more about our future house later this month. For the time being, just know that we are happier than can be to be living with… my parents! Heyooo to home glorious cooked meals, laundry service and popcorn and tea every night!
Woah, Steph, this post was supposed to be about Christmas…
To say Christmas was fun this year would be a cosmic understatement. Spending the holiday with a two year old who “gets it” is just about the greatest thing in the world. From Elf on the Shelf and all the books about Rudolph to the Christmas-themed parties and fun treats, Avery was in paradise! Side note – while Avery enjoyed Elf on the Shelf, she was slightly weary of her (yes, her) and never wanted to get too close. When we told her to share with “A” what she wanted so she could tell Santa, Avery would stand pretty far back and sweetly say “backpack.” It was so cute, but I just hope the whole thing didn’t creep her out too much.
Here are some pictures to help recap the holiday…(I usually do captions, but the blogging site is broken and I had to use html...anyways, just write your own captions this time around...) =)
You can't forget one of the more crucial steps in Christmas preparations...lights!
We were fortunate enough to see Griswaldy lights twice this year. The first time was up in Tustin in Auntie Moosh, Uncle Brennan and Cousin Helen's neighborhood. What a special evening this was!
Avery and Auntie Moosh making dinner
Now that her pants are on, it's time to go see the lights.
Papa pulls the way!
Mesmerized by the lights...the many, many lights.
Christmas Vacation (aka - Griswald) house.
Ha! Look at those faces. Loving all action!
Merry Christmas!
Why, Merry Christmas again!
The next light adventure was with the Goad, Kull and Vanderveen group. Love these guys! (Note: all the credit for these pictures is owed to Amanda. My iPhone has zero room for pictures and we have yet to invest in a camera. Gah!)
Miss Audrey Vanderveen - cute as a bug in a rug.
Avery and Quinn... excited much?!
This is a great photo. How can you not smile looking at it?
Jeff and I met on a blind date in December 2004 and were married in October 2007. He is the apple of my eye, the hop in my step and the love of my life. In September 2010 we proudly welcomed our first child, daughter Avery Elizabeth and this site was created to share with our friends and family, near and far, Avery's journey through this magical thing called life.
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