Fall is coming!!!

This might just be the most thrilling time of year for me. I greatly anticipate the close of summer. I crave fall days at the park, my bare feet in cold grass, running to chase a frisbee which I am not coordinated to catch or throw. Then racing home to a nice home cooked meal with fresh basil from my front yard and a night ending in story time with hot cocoa (with marshmellows, of course) and for me, coffee. Doesn't that just stir something in you that makes you treasure these fall days! I love them! I also love that a change in season means Averi gets to wear all her new cloths that I have been collecting for the past year from the sale racks I love to frequent! Check her out in one of her new cutie dresses, all grown up and ready for school. Love this girl!!!

They get bigger!

So I will say I love the JBF Sale. We really got some great finds and I think it is a huge blessing to moms in our city! But each year as I'm dropping off my items, I get so sad because Ave is getting so big! I want her to stay this little girl forever! And on top of that depressing session, we are potty training! Which is wonderful...I'm not at all sad to part ways with diapers. BUT it all means she is getting bigger, and the truth about that is, I don't like it!

She is getting a bit more comedic in her old age of 2 and a half! In this potty training stretch we are definitely learning to talk to Jesus about everything...like poop. She will say,"Jesus, I really need to poop." And later will say, "Thank you Jesus for my poop." I guess I could learn a thing or two from her grateful and dependent spirit!

In closing, the JBF sale provided us with 3 princess babies that are my potty prizes in order not to rot her teeth by the age of 4! So when she goes for a few days with no accidents, she gets a baby. The goal is that when the babies are gone, she is trained! So far, so good. So on the way to Miss Becca's this week, I say, "Ave, remember to go to the big girl potty today, okay?" She says, "If I do I can have my yellow baby that's in the garage." I say, "If you do you can have your yellow baby. Her name is Belle." She says, "Does she ring?"

Daddy-O

Meet Daddy-O! Daddy-O is the beloved name Averi calls David! I just love it. His full name is Daddy-O Little, of course. Yesterday was his birthday! And boy did we party!
First we dined at The Wedge...which you MUST try if you haven't yet!

Aren't they cuties!

So, I know it was his birthday, but the hummus was amazing! This is his disappointment. Sorry, I'm not a shy eater.

And then we moved on to Red Pin for a little bowling fun!

The Birthday Boy!

This was Averi's first bowling lesson from Daddy-O! She mostly like that her ball was pink. She wouldn't watch to see if she got any pins She just wanted to make sure her ball was going to come back out!

We ended our night at The Melting Pot! We would have a great picture of how fun it was if Averi did not decide to touch the pot with her little fing fing and she was so sad! But the dessert sure was tasty.

Most of all, we really enjoyed getting to celebrate David, who he is and who he is becoming. I think we-Averi and I- are both pretty smitten!

Busy as a Bee

Lately I have become project obsessed! I am working on a few things that aren't yet complete and since I know that you all are just waiting around to write the book series I am working on and make all of the things I am making, I just better not tell you about them until they are a bit more polished. But I did finally finish Ave's room...now that we have lived here for 8 months!

Her new closet curtain...and my first ever gathered seam! Also my first experience with tulle, which I have come to love!
Our new reading corner...this is where we cackle to Charlie and Lola each and EVERY day!

And this has nothing to do with room decor, but is often found on Averi's waist...my first tutu!
I feel like when I am making things more of my heart comes alive. And I want so badly for my heart to be alive! So, hopefully my creative juices will not run dry and will not find me seeking to copy everything I see, but to orginate things deep inside that burst out and invite me and my little one to burst out too!

A Trip to Barnes and Oble

So, this is one of the best things my sweet Grandma has ever given me. I have received the ability to indulge this summer without ruining my budget…now this indulgence does take its toll on my waist line, but hey pleasure can’t come without a price, right. So if you are still unsure of what pleasure I am speaking of, I can, from now until September 2^nd (major sad day!), purchase any cold grande beverage of my choice for only $2! Now, this is nearly half price; which means I can go twice as often. And this Sunday was one of my pleasure days! Averi and I head out for one of our favorite adventures, a trip to “Barnes and Oble”. But I realize I cannot use my coupon there, so being the thrifty woman I am, I choose to go through the Starbucks drive thru and order one of my favorites, a Grande Caramel Frappuccino. Then we continue on to “Barnes and Oble”, hop out of the car, and head inside. As I open the door, I loose my grip on my beloved grande beverage and SPLAT, it hits the ground, busts open and splatters all over my feet and legs. And if this isn’t embarrassing enough, my darling Averi looks up to me and says, “Why did you do that for mom?!” To which I quietly reply, “It was an accident. Now let’s hurry to the restroom.” Just in time for her to look up to the man now holding the door and say, “My mommy made a big mess. We have to h-h-hurry to the bathroom now.” She’s a gem!

I think I know her

So as we all know by now, there is for sure one thing I’m not so good at. There really are many, but for sure I am not good at consistently blogging! Ha! That’s an understatement! Really not a whole lot exciting that I wish for all the world to see is happening in my world lately. This lends to the dilemma…do I force myself to write something or do I just let it be? Me, I’m more of a let it be sorta girl.
In the world of Averi, that little girl I love, her imagination is on fire, and I just love it! Right now her favorite game to play is role trade. She frequently says to me, "Now I'm the mom and you're the kid." Fun game...and what a little mama she can be.
So a few nights ago, watching a bit a of television, I heard a statement, “I don’t know what I want to do, but I know the woman I want to be.”
Captivated by the line, I thought maybe I could tell you the dance that began in my little head…I have no clue what I want to do. I have a million ideas and directions, but I will say I know her too. The woman I wish to be. Who is she? Oh, I thought you’d never ask.
She is sincere and kind. She is sensitive, tough and pretty damn funny. She is most of all free and caught up in something so much greater than herself. She spends her life so as not to lose it. She loves well and fully. She loves simplicity and complexities. She creates and works with her hands to bring to the physical things that are mysterious and hidden and unseen by our eyes. She is coming out ( and this has nothing to do with sexuality) into her own. She is blooming still, but one day, she will just live the life she was meant to. So she doesn't have to decide which of the million ideas she will do. She is free to just be.
She’s not sure she should be this serious, this vulnerable on the internet, but with a click of the mouse, it’s far too late!

It's time...

Nearly midnight, but I can no longer handle the nagging of my anticipating future readers. :) I thought it would only be appropriate to have my first blog contain some sort of well...

Ode to Christina

You quit your job so I could work

I thought you might be a jerk

But you were actually pretty cool (ok, maybe really cool)

And now I have to write a blog to keep in touch with you.

The end.

And then on a different note. This weekend was my nephew's 4th birthday party at Orr Family Farm. It's a pretty great place. Averi had a blast petting the animals, and she had truly amazing posture on the pony ride. I was proud. The carousel was fun, and the train was a big hit. But the best part of this Farm/Pirate Party (wierd...) was the cake made by none other than mwa. Check it out...

Pretty fantastic except everyone knows that pirates have gold earrings not red. But much to my dismay, the entire package of Lifesavers had zero gold!!!

In closing, Averi has added another word to her vocabulary as of about 4 hours ago. The word was given to her straight from my mouth. "Freakin" Her quote, "Daddy-o, I have a freakin' wagon in my garage." What have I done????