Finger food

This week, I have experimented a little with giving Ava foods she can feed to herself. She tried a few little Cheerios at dinner the other night, and I was surprised that she was able to actually pick them up and put them in her mouth. She doesn't really have the whole pincer grasp thing down yet, but she does figure out in her own way how to make it happen! Tonight at dinner, we let her try with some tiny pinches of bread and I was able to catch a few shots. She doesn't seem to be a big fan of baby food, so we may be moving toward table food sooner than I would think (within reason of course)!

She loves it, she loves it not.....

I can't believe that in just one week Ava will already be eight months old. She's so sweet and we just love watching her do new things. Just a few days ago, she waved for the first time! It totally caught us off guard and was so cute!

She loves to find the tags on toys, blankets, burp cloths, etc. and chew on them. She also really loves to bounce! On your lap, in her exersaucer or jumper, wherever! And she just loves Claire (and pulling on her long hair!). Just this morning we were all sitting on the floor together, and Ava was swatting her arms at Claire. I told Claire that Ava was trying to get her attention. Claire pointed to her legs and said, "that's not my tension!" So funny! I had no idea that's how it could sound to her.

Now a bit of what she doesn't like! She is a bit of a finicky eater already! She does not like green vegetables AT ALL, and quite honestly loves to spit her food no matter if it's something she likes or not. And when I say spit, we're talking blowing raspberries with food in her mouth. I suppose it would amuse me if I were her, but not so much to whomever is feeding her! She is also starting to really object when you walk away from her and she can't see you! She is such a precious, fun little baby!

The Greatest Show on Earth

To kind of go along with the whole carnival/circus theme for Claire's birthday, we got tickets to the circus as part of her gift. We went last night as a family and had a great time. We stopped at Red Robin for a bite to eat and made our way downtown. We weren't really sure how Ava would do, but she really seemed to enjoy all of the lights, animals and bright colors and did just great.

Claire enjoyed every minute of it! I asked her after the show what was her favorite part, and she said she really liked the tigers and the elephants. Though, at one point during the trapeze act she said she wanted to "go up there and do that exercise!" If it were only that easy! Daddy liked the motorcycle on the high wire; my favorite is always the trapeze! It was a great show and really is fun for the whole family! Here are some pictures from our evening at the Greatest Show on Earth! I caught what I could, but some of the acts were just moving too fast for me to catch anything good.

Reward chart

Some time ago, my brother got Claire this responsibility chart and I set it aside knowing Claire wasn't quite ready for it. Recently, I pulled it out and started using it and it has been working very well so far. It is a lot of pre-printed "goals" and even a few blank ones to write your own.

Initially, I really thought this might help with the "objections" I sometimes get for things such as getting dressed, brushing her teeth, getting ready for bed, etc. She can earn a magnet beside that task for that day by doing these things when asked without any drama! She also earns a magnet for tasks she doesn't seem to mind doing, like setting the table, making her bed and picking up her toys. After getting ready for bed (since that's one of the magnets she can earn) and just before our bedtime story and prayers, we go visit her chart to see how she has done that day. I am still working out a few kinks, but so far it seems to be motivating to her.

Warm winter weather!

We had temperatures in the sixties today, so of course we took advantage of it and got outside to play! We did spend a good amount of the morning in our pajamas and let Ava get through her morning nap, but after lunch, we headed out for a walk. Claire desperately wanted to ride the new bike she got from Santa, so off we went. She had a great time, but I think it took us about 45 minutes to go around our 3/4 mile block. It was so funny - we need a little work on how to use the brakes! The last half of the walk, I actually had to mount the bike on top of the bars of the stroller because Claire was too whipped to ride it anymore (or push it for that matter). It was a sight to see!

When we got back home, we spent some time just playing outside. Then, we piled into the car with some stale bread and went over to the lake to feed the ducks. It was fun, but I must say, the ducks were pretty wild! Even I was starting to get a little scared there may be an "attack of the killer ducks!" We even witnessed a brawl between two of them over some bread. Hilarious! Here are a few pictures at the lake.

Scored some bargains today!

I had to go to Macy's today and noticed they were giving out free cosmetic products because of a lawsuit settlement. Apparently, this giveaway started yesterday, and customers had their choice of one item on a list of several. They were already out of some things, but I was excited to get something free - Clinique Moisture Surge! They said that Dillards was also doing this, so I stopped in there and got Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair. Anyway, if you are near either of those stores or any of the others participating, it might be worth checking out. Here is the web site with all of the info... http://www.cosmeticssettlement.com/

Waldenbooks in Rivergate Mall is apparently closing, and their entire stock is at least 40% off. I heard from someone in there that they are closing on Saturday, but I'm not sure if that is accurate. I don't go to Rivergate very often, but I must say it is starting to look like a ghost town!

We'll sleep well tonight!

We attended a birthday party earlier today at My Gym and also went to a local gymnastics studio for a MOPS event this evening. Both were great fun and perfect for our very active four-year-old! Here are some pictures from our fun-filled day!

Sitting up

Ava has been doing a pretty good job of sitting up with support for a while now, but lately I've been getting a little braver about letting her sit without anything around for a few minutes. I got a little too brave on Christmas Day and got up for a second just to watch her topple over. Oops! Thankfully, she was fine. She still eventually falls in one direction or another, but is doing great! Our sweet baby is getting so big!

Playing dress up

Claire doesn't play dress up as often as I know some girls do, but she got very excited about the idea of going to a dress up tea party today with her friends. She really wanted to wear her Cinderella dress. I just had to snap a few pics of this precious little princess!

In the Doghouse

So I go into Claire's room this afternoon, and this is what I found. Kind of just looks like pillows sort of stacked on the bed, right?

Well, if you look closely, there's a little girl sleeping in there.....

I asked her when she woke up what this was all about. Apparently, she wanted to sleep in a "doghouse." I asked her how she slept in there, and she said, "Well, it's pretty hot."

We're so proud

I am feeling like a proud mama today and wanted to share a little about my Claire.

I am so proud of her attitude about being a sister so far. She is sweeter to Ava than I believe she is to anyone else. She loves to sing her "Hush Little Baby," play patty cake with her, and is sure to tell us when we need to take care of her. Sometimes, if she hears Ava and we are not acting immediately, you'll hear, "I'm coming Ava!" and she'll run off to give her the pacifier or the toy she dropped. Now don't get me wrong, we still need to work on not stealing baby sister's toys!

I was astonished to recently discover that she already knows the difference between right and left. I mean, good grief, I still have to think about it sometimes! As we are driving lately, she tells us which way we are turning!

She is also doing a great job of spelling her full name now - first, middle and last.

I have never really thought much about how well she colored or what was considered a normal expectation for this age. But over the past few weeks, we've really seen a transformation in how she colors. She used to color one color over an entire page, with not much regard for the lines. Then all of a sudden, she is very deliberate about coloring within the lines. There's never really been any pressure from us, as we tell her all of her work looks great! I have no idea what prompted it! Here is an example of her recent work.



These could all be things that should have been mastered before now, but I find joy in these precious accomplishments whenever it is they come!

Birthday with friends

Yesterday, we had a party at church to celebrate Claire's birthday with her friends. I know it seems a little late, but this was the first available Saturday since before her birthday (the church play area was closed two weeks for Christmas). It was a carnival theme party, and it was SOOOOOO much fun! You've got to love a good theme! Here are a few pictures from our fun-filled day!

The invitation....

The birthday girl before everyone arrived!


The kids spent the first hour playing in the indoor play area. Claire had a ball (as you can see from the red face)!


Claire and her buddies right before going into the party room for snacks!


We had a "big top" cake and ice cream as well as pigs in a blanket, popcorn and cotton candy!

We did face painting and the kids all got balloon animals.

We also had a clown make an appearance, a part played by none other than Chris Goggin! Yes, he did it, and I still can't believe it! What a great daddy, huh? Claire loved it so much - it was priceless to see her face!

We had carnival themed treat boxes for the kids, which included a clown nose, animal cookies, carnival tattoos and cracker jacks.

And little sister Ava was there, hanging out in her carrier most of the time. By next year, she'll be mobile and right in the mix with everyone!

Favorite toy

Even with all the fun toys she just got for Christmas, Ava's go-to toy is the remote. If it's anywhere near her, she either reaches for it or stares it down until you get the idea and hand it to her!