Avery's Pooh Party!

So, I know you're just dying to see and hear the details of Avery's 2nd birthday, right?  Okay guys.  Humor me.  Just pretend you're dying to see it all :)

The "Pooh Party" that Avery had been talking incessantly about for over a month went off without a hitch. It was a vast improvement over how I felt after her first birthday party.  That was a disaster.  This time, I was relaxed, not stressed.  If my floor didn't get mopped or my tables didn't get dusted, oh well.  My house was going to be a wreck after people came pouring in anyway.  I didn't obsess over decorations or food or details.  I just worked hard on everything and then didn't stress the day of.  It made for a VERY enjoyable day.

Details!

Food:  I did Winnie the Pooh themed foods.

Bar-BEE-Que sandwiches as the entree.

P-BEE-and J sandwiches for the littles, if they weren't partial to BBQ.

Veggies, straight out of Rabbit's garden.

Rolls and "hunny."  This was a special request from the birthday girl herself.  We were eating at a local steakhouse that gives you complimentary honey with your dinner rolls.  While Avery was dipping her rolls in honey, she asked me "At my Pooh party??"  So, we HAD to have rolls and hunny.

Side note:  check out these honey bottles I found at Walmart.  I was just going to get the regular jars of clover honey that are in the shape of a bear.  Then, this jar caught my eye.....

AHHHH!  Winnie the Pooh shaped honey jars!!  I may have bought four of them. 

Next, a "Pooh" tato bar.  Baked potatoes that you could load up with your choice of toppings--cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream, broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, butter.

I didn't get a picture of them, but the baked potatoes were as big as your head.  Seriously.  I got them at Sam's Club and they were the biggest things I'd ever seen.  My sister told me that she felt like she deserved a t-shirt if she finished the entire thing.  Monstrous.

If you weren't feeling like a baked potato, you could also indulge in some "Pooh" tato chips. 

Finally, dessert. I didn't do a cake this year, but instead opted for cupcakes.  In my mind, I wanted to make something like this....

via

But this involved cutting apart yellow and black jellybeans and squeezing them together.  I'm too lazy for that.  Instead, I took Whoppers candies and drizzled them with yellow icing.  Lazy woman's version.  Sliced almonds for the wings.  Did they look as good as the above version?  Nope.  Don't care. 

Also, Tigger Tails!  Shout out to my sister-in-law for making these adorable orange colored chocolate dipped pretzels, drizzled in chocolate.  Marty can't stop eating them, three days later.

I bought a glass terrarium at Michael's and filled it with a yellow tablecloth to mimic honey.  Also to make the pretzel stand a little higher for easy accessibility. 

Avery's Outfit:  Many of you know that I stressed over what my little "hunny" was going to wear to her party.  Shoot, I wrote a whole blog post about it.  A Facebook friend sent me over to JossyBelle Bows on Facebook and she created exactly what I was picturing in my mind.  I didn't want a single Winnie the Pooh anywhere on it.  I just wanted it to be "Pooh-inspired."  This is what she made: 

And this is what it looked like on Avery: 

Decorations:  I honestly didn't do many.  My sister-in-law let me borrow some of the Pooh character stuffed animals, which I scattered around the house.  I bought red and Pooh-yellow tablecloths and put them on the food and present tables.  The only crafty thing I did was make a Pooh-inspired wreath that hung on the front door and that will be hung in her playroom later.  (inspired by this wreath on etsy).

Party favors:  I ordered some teddy bears online that the little girls could stuff themselves.  I also bought some Winnie the Pooh puzzles and some bug catchers at the Dollar Tree. Provided all the kids with a brown bag that they could keep their favors in.  I really hope the kids enjoyed them. 

Favorite picture of the day:  

*sigh*  Does it even need words?  It makes my heart smile so, so much.  She loves her Aunt Day-Day. 

Giggle of the day:  My sister-in-law had her son's Halloween costume from a couple of years ago.  Of course we had to try it on. 

Cuteness overload.  I can't handle. 

Favorite moment of the day:  There were lots of great moments, but by far my favorite moment happened when Avery opened a very special gift.  Marty's mom passed away in November of last year.  For Christmas, she had already purchased the kid's Christmas gifts before she passed, so they had something to open from her on Christmas Eve.  But a couple of weeks ago, my sister-in-law found some presents in her old bedroom.  And one of them had Avery's name on it.  Inside, was a Winnie the Pooh doll and sticker book.  When Arlene passed away, we hadn't planned Avery's party.  We didn't know it would be Pooh themed.  Heck, back in November, Avery wasn't even into Winnie the Pooh at that point. I still can't wrap my head around it. 

She's slept with it every night since.  Thanks Gaga.

The party was literally perfect.  I wouldn't change a single thing.  Happy birthday, my little "hunny."  

To My Avery, On Your Second Birthday

Oh my Avery.  My loud, spunky, giggly, attitude-y, rambunctious Avery.  How did we get here?  How did we get to the point that we're celebrating your SECOND birthday??  You should still be my cuddly infant.  The one that coos at the bugs on her carseat and is allergic to every fruit known to man.  Instead, you're a two year old.  A two year old that tells me when she's happy with something.  Or unhappy with something (mostly the latter).  I feel like I spend the majority of our waking hours together scolding you.  I feel like I'm constantly getting after you to share your toys, use your manners, not throw temper tantrums, use the potty, don't pee in your pants, don't empty mommy's makeup on the clean bedsheets....but I do it because I love you.  I love you and I want you to be a polite, fun to be around little girl.  I discipline because I want to know that someday, when I send you off to spend all day with a teacher or a babysitter, that I can rest easy knowing that I've taught you how to behave.  You're constantly pushing my buttons and testing your limits, but we make it through the day okay, right?  We have our moments where you come running up to me out of nowhere and hug my leg and say "Hold you please."  Then I pick you up and you squeeze my neck and say "I yuv you mommy."  And that's when I think my heart is going to explode right there.  My purpose in life is to be your mommy.  To kiss your boo-boos and find your lost Minnie Mouse doll.  To wipe your butt and wipe your tears.  There's nothing else I would rather be doing.  Because you make life worthwhile.  There's nothing like sitting with you for a couple of minutes and then listen to you talk and marvel at all the new words you've learned.  You are SO incredibly smart.  You pick up on things so quickly.  You can hold your own with the older kids in a room, which makes me so proud.  You're just like your daddy.  You're outgoing and not afraid to talk to anyone.  You make friends in the checkout line and tell them all about your fishy swimming at home in his bowl.  I honestly believe there's nothing you can't do.  I'm so proud of the little girl you're becoming.  Sure, we have our moments where I yell too much or you throw things in the floor just because you didn't get your way.  But we love each other and that's all that really matters. 

Happy 2nd birthday, my one and only Avery. 

Oh, Pooh.

This Winnie the Pooh party will be the death of me.  They'll write on my tombstone:  "The Pooh did her in."

I had a mini-crisis earlier over Avery's birthday outfit.  That's been solved.

Now I've moved on to the invitations.  I'm seeing a lot of this kind of stuff....

via etsy

via etsy

Just kind of basic.  Easy (I really wish I knew what my aversion was to easy things...it'd make my life much simpler).

I know you're making fun of me.  And that's okay.  I love party planning.  I want everything to scream Pooh (without being cheesy overboard style) and I want everything to show that I worked hard on this.  That I cared enough to sit down and work on these invitations and didn't take the easy route.  I mean, did you SEE the invitations for Avery's first birthday party??  SUPER time consuming.  But so worth it.  I'm still getting compliments over those invites. 

So then I found stuff like this. And I die.

via etsy

At $55 for 8 invitations, this is not even an option.

via etsy

Again.  $44 for 8 invites?  Not gonna happen. 

I could make these myself.  But I have a Silhouette machine, which, unfortunately, doesn't have licensed character shapes for purchase yet.  So I would be hand-drawing all of the pots and Poohs and everything.  Doable....but very, time consuming.  

Sigh.  I need someone to make creative invites...and sell them for really, really cheap.  Is that too much to ask?

Time to Talk Potty.

Welcome to the Gaddie household.  Step inside and hear me use the word "pee pee,"  "poo-poo" and "big girl panties" probably more than you ever wanted to hear them in your life.  That's right.  We have officially begun potty training.  It has literally happened overnight.

You may remember, maybe a month ago, I took Avery to Walmart to pick out her very own "big girl" potty. We brought home our very own Disney Princess potty that sat proudly in mommy and daddy's bathroom.  My intentions were to get the potty early, talk about it, get her accustomed to the fact that we had a potty that she was going to use and then start training after she turned two.  But, in true Avery style, SHE'S decided when we're going to do things, and to heck with my plans.  She woke up 4 mornings in a row in a completely dry diaper.  I thought that was suspicious, so I immediately called my mom to get her opinion.  She told me that I needed to start potty training.  Cue panic mode.  I have NO idea how to potty train a child.  Every other process we've gone through has been pretty self-explanatory:  Sleep training:  let her cry it out.  Wean off the bottle and paci:  take them away and don't give them back.  Wean off formula and give regular milk:  gradually introduce it until she's full time milk and no more formula.  Easy.  Potty training?  Not so much.  You basically can't do it just "willy-nilly."  It works best, from what I've heard and read, if you have a plan in  place.  To Pinterest I went!  I scoured blogs and potty training advice sites and then developed my own plan:

1.  Putting her straight into "big girl underwear."  Skipping Pull-Ups (except at nighttime....we'll just call them her "special nighttime panties" or something like that) because they're too much like diapers.  In regular underwear, she'll be able to recognize that she's wet or dirty, not like the feeling and hopefully correct it sooner.  We're doing Gerber potty training pants on first (more absorption ..less mess if she does have an accident), then pretty underwear on over it, so she feels special.

2.  Potty time before bed, as soon as she gets up and every 30 minutes during the day.

Fun tip:  Pull Ups, even though we're not using the product during daytime training, has a "Big Kid" iPhone app that you can download that has a ton of resources....a potty timer with Minnie Mouse that you can set to go off every 30 minutes, hour, whatever.  You can schedule a call to come from Minnie, Cinderella, Tow Mater, etc. to tell your toddler that it's time for a potty break (I WILL be trying that this weekend when I'm home with Avery).  Games they can play as a reward whenever they "go" in the potty.  Tons of ideas to make potty training more fun for your little.

3.  Rewards for pees and poops in the potty.  I thought about doing prizes from the Dollar Tree or something else for going "number 2," but realized that means more toys and knick knacks around my house, and that doesn't need to happen.  I decided on 1 M&M for pee, 2 for poops.

That's it.  We've literally hit the ground running.  When Avery and Marty got home yesterday, Avery and I immediately went to town to pick out her "big girl pannies."  I talked them up and told her that big girls like mommy and her cousin Kate, who she idolizes, wear them and now it was Avery's turn.  She was ecstatic when we picked them out.

Showing off her new big girl undies!

Excited about Princess "pannies!" 

I woke Avery up this morning, took her straight to the potty and it began!  I know that it's not going to be the easiest thing in the world.  She's going to have accidents (she peed a tiny bit in the floor this morning and immediately let me know so I could put her straight on the potty) and it's going to be a learning process that will take much longer than a few days, but it's worth it.  It means no more diapers, more money in my pocket and my little girl learning a major milestone.  With that, I have a tiny bit of hesitation.  Potty training means we've crossed into "big girl world."  It's amazing how quickly they grow up and are ready for the next milestone.  Sorry....sappy mommy moment.  *sigh*

"Mom.  Are you seriously taking my picture?"

"But I'm just wearing pannies!  Don't take my picture!!"

It's Potty Time!

We have entered the "potty training" zone in the Gaddie Household this week.  I'm not planning on pushing potty training for awhile, but I did want to go ahead and get Avery her very own potty so she could get used to it and we could be talking about it long before the official potty training began.  So Avery and I made a quick trip to Walmart this week to pick out her "big girl potty."  It was almost sad how ridiculously excited my child was about a toilet.  I let her choose between a Minnie Mouse and a Disney Princess potty (she picked Princesses....when did we cross into an alternate universe where my Minnie-loving daughter is suddenly obsessed with the Princesses???)  After adding it to our cart, she would randomly burst into giggles and announce to shoppers around us that we were carrying a potty around.  Yeah, that's real life.

I have a potty!!!!!!

Are you seeing my potty?!?

Seriously!!  It's RIGHT HERE!! 

Looks like my baby isn't much of a baby anymore.

Also, with potty training, I solemnly swear that you will never see a "Look!  Here's my kid sitting on the toilet" picture because:  1.  I don't think they're cute.  2.  I do want my child to eventually like me one day and know that I didn't take a picture of her on the toilet and share it with the entire world.  Just sayin'

Is it worth it?

Recently, I was having a conversation with a friend who decided to never have children.  When I pressed her on the reason why, she replied "Because I have lots of friends who are moms.  And when they tell me about motherhood, it just seems really hard.  It just never sounded worth it to me."  My first reaction was to sugar coat it "Noooo, parenting is so great, it's not hard, it's rainbows and puppies and butterflies 24/7....." because what kind of person wants to complain about being a parent?  But I thought that honesty was the better policy......

Parenting IS hard.  It's a job....one that sucks out loud sometimes.  It's waking up to throw up in the crib and glancing down to see poop in the bathtub.  It's labor and delivery and epidurals and recovery and doctor bills.  It's little sleep and being a walking zombie.  It's not getting to show my husband any affection whatsoever until my toddler goes to bed (we're dealing with jealousy issues right now). It's toddler tantrums and messy vehicles.  It's getting off work and starting my second job.  It's walking through the door in the evening and fitting in mealtime and cleanup time and playtime and listening to the "Winnie the Pooh" movie on repeat until I think I'm going to scream.  It's magnets under the couch and bread crumbs in the bed.  It's curling my hair with a toddler clinging to my legs.  It's HARD.

But, unlike most jobs, it comes with built-in rewards.  It's walking in the door at the babysitter's house and hearing her yell "Mommy!!" and watching her run to me like I'm the single most important person in the world.  It's pride when she learns a new word.  It's sticky kisses and squeezing hugs.  It's singing Mickey in the car and laughing when she does.  It's watching her grow and learn every day and knowing that I'm helping her become the person she's learning to be.  It's forgetting about all of the terrible things because the great things make it all worth it in the end.  I'd take a million poops in the bathtub for a "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" and a kiss when I walk in the door.  Parenting isn't easy, by any stretch of the imagination.  I wish someone had opened my eyes to that in the beginning.  But.....I don't know that it would have mattered.  Because I'd do it all again in a second. 

Baby #2

I have an announcement to make, so listen really, really closely.......




I despise people that rush things.

There.  That's it.  My announcement.  Did I trick you? *mischievous giggle* Are you just here because you thought I was carrying another mini-Marty for the world to see?  Sorry to disappoint you guys.  Instead, I want to talk about exactly the opposite.

I hate it when people rush things in life.
When you start getting serious with your significant other, people are immediately like "When are you getting a ring??" 
When you get engaged...and I mean literally, the moment you get engaged, people are like "When's the wedding??"  "Not sure.  I just received a ring like 0.2 seconds ago."
Then, you get married and it doesn't take long for people to be like "When are you guys going to have a baby???" "I don't know.  In the meantime, we'll just practice :) (sorry mom.)." 
Finally, and my biggest pet peeve of all, before your little bundle of joy is even a year old, people are all "So, when's baby number two coming along??"

Here's the thing.  I realize that everyone has their own schedules.  Some couples want to be married for over 5 years before they even have the baby talk.  Some are ready for babies as soon as they get married (crazy kids).  Some people want one child.  Some people want multiple children spaced multiple years apart.  And then there's the people that barely let their babies stop being babies before they want another.  Lately, I've seen or heard people talking about having crazy baby fever and wanting a second baby before their first is even barely a year old.  Listen, if that's you, and I'm offending you right now, please accept my sincerest apologies.  I just don't understand it.  Avery, my one and only for the moment, turned 18 months old yesterday.  She's still a BABY to me.  She's my walking, talking, screaming, fighting, crying, smiling, giggling, pouting, learning daily, stubborn little baby.  Modern medicine and my pediatrician can call her a toddler if they like, but to me, she's still my baby.  She's still unsteady when she runs.  She still giggles when she learns something new.  She still curls up in a ball when she's still sleepy and when she wakes up in the morning.  She still sleeps like a baby (as in, not at all).  Yes, Avery is doing lots of toddler-ish things right now.  But she has SO many more milestones to hit before I want to think about bringing another little Gaddie into our household yet.  I would love it if my kid could eat normal food without pretending to choke.  I would love her to be potty trained (BIG one).  I would love if she could drink out of a straw by herself without spilling water all over herself (and me, and the floor, and Minnie Mouse).  I would love it if she would consistently sleep through the night (BIGGEST ONE OF ALL).  All of the things I still feel like Avery and I need to do before I even think about splitting my time with her and a sibling. 

Now, don't get me wrong.  I know plenty of people whose children are super close together and are incredibly awesome moms.  I just don't think I'd be one of them.  My child takes up 110% of my time right now.  I'm trying to be more involved in my community through Relay for Life, find a little more time to myself by crafting and trying to squeeze in time with my hubby every now and again.  Most of the time, simple things like cleaning house and doing laundry don't even fit into the schedule because I just am not a good homemaker/multi-tasker.  So the idea of having baby #2 right now (or even 9 months from now) sends me into a brown-paper-bag, full-blown panic attack zone.  Let me clarify something too.  Do I want more children?  Abso-freaking-lutely.  More than one more, if I can drug my husband into signing a contract that we can have more than two little Gaddies running around.  Do I want them to be spaced years apart?  Not exactly.  I'm not saying that I want to wait until Avery is in middle school before we have another baby (can you imagine how exhausting THAT would be??).  I'm just saying that I want maybe a year or two more to enjoy my baby now.  To watch her grow.  To watch her learn.  To know that I can devote all of my time to her without feeling guilty about needing to split my time with her brother or sister.  I'm not saying that there's a magic age or number of years your children should be spaced apart.  I'm just saying....quit trying to rush things people.  Enjoy your babies while they're still babies.  And let me enjoy mine.

Terrible Twos or Bratty Kid?

I've had a magic trick happen in my home.  One day, I had a happy baby that laughed often, snuggled with mommy and daddy, willingly gave kisses and hugs and was polite.  Then *poof*!  I wake up the next morning to a whiny, clingy, demanding little 17 month old.  Could this honestly be the dreaded "Terrible Twos" already?!?

What's happened to my sweet baby girl?  We are deep in the throes of Temper Tantrum Land.  Squealing or growling or just plain "pitching a fit" when she doesn't get her way.  Perfect example:  last night, we were driving home in my car.  Avery wanted to listen to her Mickey Mouse CD (isn't it funny how you know what they want without using any words?).  After a little while of listening, she was still grunting and growling at me, so I turned Mickey off.  When she threw a fit to listen to him again, I told her that if she wanted something she needed to say please.  Cue terrible tantrum.  Cue the pouty lip and the waving of fists.  Which made me insist: "Avery, we don't act like that to get what we want.  If you want to listen to Mickey, you have to say please."  You see, this line ALWAYS worked before.  Want a banana? to watch TV? to wear a bow in your hair?  You must say please.  And she would.  Until recently.  Now she'll throw a fit to get what she wants...saying please is an absolute thing of the past.  I would like to say that I don't give into those embarrassing temper tantrums, but sometimes you're caught in public when one comes on.  What do you do?  You leave your cart full of groceries in the aisle and walk back to your vehicle because your child just HAS to have that rubber ducky she spotted on the shelf?  Sometimes, it's just easier to give her the rubber ducky that will keep her entertained the rest of the time we're in the store.  I know that's not the best thing to do.  So sue me.  It's hard disciplining a 17 month old.  She doesn't fully understand everything I'm trying to tell her.  I say "We don't pull mommy's hair.  That's not a nice thing to do Avery."  Who knows what she's hearing?  Probably: pull mommy's hair! 

Let's move on to dinner time.  Eating out at a sit down restaurant is going to have to be retired for the time being.  Avery wants to throw her cup, throw her toys, throw her food, get out of the chair, pretend to choke because she thinks it's funny (yeah....that really happens).  I understand that she's still a baby, leaning towards being a toddler and that she isn't always going to sit still whenever we're in public or eat all her vegetables.  I'm not naive.  But I definitely don't want to be embarrassed any time Marty and I decide to go eat dinner at Cheddars. 

Then there's playing well with others.  To summarize:  it doesn't happen.  Well, let me specify.  Avery plays well with others at a neutral place (i.e. someone else's house).  When those playmates are on "her turf," don't even think about it.  A while back, there were a couple of Avery's friends over at her Gramma's house.  They played with Avery's toys at Gramma's house....and Avery wanted nothing to do with it.  Harper would play with Avery's kitchen...Avery would run over and play with her kitchen.  Delaney would pick up Avery's play vacuum....Avery suddenly wanted to vacuum.  Lots of growling and yelling took place that day.  How do you teach a child that's Avery's age how to share?  I can tell her that she needs to share her toys, but again...what does that mean to her?  I have been blessed to have an amazing family that watches Avery during the week, thus keeping her out of daycare.  Am I doing Avery a disservice by keeping her out of daycare and keeping her away from the chance to learn how to interact with other kids her age?  What's a mom to do??

Someone told me that this could be the result of lack of sleep.  Well, at 17 months old, Avery is still not consistently sleeping through the night.  We may have a week of sleeping through and then a week of being up every night crying it out.  Then she may sleep through two days and cry the next three.  She's also not getting regular naps.  She may go to my Granny's house and take a three hour nap around 11 one day and then go to my Aunt Pam's and sleep 30 minutes at 12 the next.  Without me being with her every single day, it's almost impossible to regulate her naptime schedule.  Could I just have a grumpy baby because she can't figure out a consistent sleeping pattern??

Now that I've ranted, let me explain.  Avery rarely ever acts this way with anyone else (unless all my babysitters are lying when they tell me "She was perfect today!").  It seems to be just when she's with me.  That makes me feel like crap.  And let me clarify something else:  I know I just talked about everything that Avery is doing to misbehave, but my child is no means a terror.  She's still enjoyable to be around (for the most part), ALWAYS says thank you whenever you hand her an item and is so much fun.  Everything I mentioned above is behavior that happens occasionally.  No, she doesn't throw a fit every time we go to Wal-Mart.  No, she doesn't embarrass me every single time we're at a restaurant.  No, she doesn't throw a temper tantrum every single time she doesn't get what she wants.  But these instances are becoming closer and closer together.  And I want to raise a well-behaved and polite child (for the most part...I understand kids aren't perfect). 

I'm a little worried about this new development in Avery's behavior.  I worry that it's my parenting or disciplining style that's made her that way.  Help??
(I leave you with Avery's best "gimme-what-I-want" pouty face, as given to her Gramma)

A Day in the Life

I have something special for you guys today...I have a guest poster!  She's adorable.  She's spoiled.  She's a diva.  Welcome to a "day in the life of.....Avery Leigh."

Hey everybody!  I thought it was time for everyone to meet the baby behind the "Super Messy Supermommy."  Wanna know why my mommy is the way she is (frazzled, messy, crazy at times)?  Follow me on my journey through a single day.  Hope you can keep up!

6:58 am--Stir around in my bed.  Cry out a few times and then be quiet....it throws mommy off.  She thinks she can go back to sleep. 
7:05 am--Decide mommy has slept enough.  Chew on my bed and cry until she comes to get me.  If she waits more than two minutes, I think it's best to throw things to get attention.  Maybe howl a little.
7:08 am--Mommy's here!  Although she doesn't look as awake as I am....

7:10 am--Wiggle around a lot during diaper changing to help mommy wake up.
7:13 am--Run into mommy's office and touch all her paints before she finds me.

7:14 am--She found me.  I smile sweetly so she won't get mad.

7:19 am--Hide the remote.  She'll never find it!  Just like she hasn't found those 5 pairs of shoes I've hidden *evil giggle*

7:30 am--Favorite time of day---breakfast!  NutriGrain bars and Craisins. 

7:45 am--Finish breakfast.  Ask for more.  Mommy says no.  *sigh*
7:46 am--Tell daddy goodbye. 

8:00 am--Mickey Mouse is on!  I love that mouse.

8:17 am--Pretend like I'm getting sleepy.  It throws mommy off.  I even put a pillow in the floor and lay on it for dramatic effect.
8:19 am--Begged mommy to let me lay with her. 

8:20 am--Done pretending!  I think mommy fell for it!  I really just wanted to be up on the couch to play.
8:21 am--Beg for more food.  Craisins appear.  I like it when mommy does magic.
8:25 am--Ask for more Craisins.  Mommy tells me this is my "last snack."  We'll see about that....
8:30 am--Jake and the Neverland Pirates is on--my second favorite show!  Those songs are so darn catchy. 

8:34 am--Give mommy kisses.  I gotta keep up my sweet demeanor every once in awhile.

8:35 am--Find the Craisins mommy was hiding! 

8:50 am--Point to my hairbows and "ask" to wear one. Giggle when mommy puts in it my hair. Gosh, I'm cute.
8:51 am--Time to polish my music skills. I'm a reallllly good singer.

8:52 am--Violently rip hairbow out.  Gotta remind that hairbow who's boss.

8:55 am--Push mommy out of the bedroom and shut the door.  Repeat three times.  Giggle a lot. 

8:57 am--Mommy shuts the door and tells me I can't go back in my room.  Rude.
9:10 am--Brush up on some light reading.

9:14 am--Ask for more food.  Don't get any.  Sometimes mommy is mean.
9:15 am--Ask for more food.  Still don't get any.  Mommy says "I've had enough snacks for now."  Is there such a thing?
9:16 am--Realize Mickey is back on.  I'm getting a little sleepy, but I won't let mommy know.
9:25 am--Crawl up into mommy's lap, pretending to be sweet.  Maybe I'll just rest awhile. 

11:00 am--Wake up in my bed......what just happened?

11:11 am--Favorite time of day--lunch! 
11:12 am--Did you know everything is good with ketchup?  Macaroni and cheese, pickles, my fingers.....

11:24 am--Drag half of mommy's shoes out of the closet while she dries her hair.  She loves when I do that.

11:26 am--Find a pretty box in mommy's bathroom cabinet with yellow wrappers in it.  I think it's candy.

11:27 am--Run away with the box and dump the candy on the ground to find the best piece. 

11:28 am--Taste a wrapper.  Not candy.
11:32 am--Weigh myself.  Gained 2 ounces.  Need to lay off those sugar wafers.

11:40 am--Mommy is changing my diaper (again).  To mix things up, I try to help.  Grab my diaper and get brown stuff all over my bed.  Mommy has her angry face on and called me by my hospital name.  Am I in trouble?
11:41 am--Pat mommy on the hand.  She smiles.  Everything is fixed.
11:48 am--Mommy spots leftover ketchup on my face and tries to clean it.  I get mad....maybe I was saving it for later, okay?!
11:50 am--Figure out that if I turn my cup upside down and shake, water comes out.  Do this all over the living room floor. 

11:51 am--Mommy sees.  The angry face comes back.  This might call for two pats on the hand.
11:57 am--I have the urge to rip things.  Napkins sound good. 

11:58 am--Mommy isn't speaking to me.  This is definitely time for a hug.
11:59 am--Hug mommy.  Even pat her back a little.  She smiles and calls me "sweet baby."  She is so easy.
12:00 pm--Mommy is trying to get me to say "Love you."  Again.  I know how.  I just don't feel like it.
12:05 pm--We're in the car....road trip!

12:16 pm--"Party in the USA" comes on the radio.  Mommy dances and wants me to join her.  I'm just going to stare at her blankly and hope she stops.
12:17 pm--She puts in my Jake and the Neverland Pirates CD.  Now THAT'S my jam.  Proceed to rock out.
12:20 pm--Mommy tries to turn off Jake after just two songs.  I scream "Jaaaaake!" until she puts it back.  Success.
12:22 pm--Show mommy my new trick of gagging myself with three fingers.  She doesn't like it.  12:40 pm--Got to my cousin's house....non-stop playtime!!!
2:32 pm--Got a little sleepy.  Shook it off like a champ.
2:55 pm--Mommy keeps feeling my head and saying something about a fever.
3:15 pm--Leaving my cousins.  Sad time.  They have the best toys.
4:10 pm--Got home.  Mommy said something about wanting me to take a nap since I'm not feeling good.  She even turned on my nighttime sound machine.  Yeah, like that's gonna wor.........
5:33 pm--Woke up in my bed AGAIN!  How does this keep happening??
5:34 pm--Mommy used the stick thingy with numbers and said I don't have a fever anymore.  Like I care.
5:35 pm--Favorite time of day--dinner!  Spanish rice and corn.  Tip:  if you don't have half of your food on yourself by the end of the meal, you aren't doing something right.

6:00 pm--Daddy's home!!!  This means playtime, of course.
6:20 pm--Mommy said something about going out and went to go fix her hair.  I better go investigate.
6:22 pm--Found those wrappers in mommy's bathroom again.  I'm still suspicious of them being candy.  Decided to dump them for a double check.

6:23 pm--Still not candy.
6:24 pm--Helped mommy put them back in the box.  Maybe she'll give me real candy for helping.
6:35 pm--Aunt Dayna is here!!  Gosh, I love that redhead. 
6:37 pm--Mommy and Aunt Dayna are talking about leaving for a "girls night out."  I'm not invited?
6:40 pm--I decided to let mommy go to dinner.  Hope she doesn't think this is going to be a regular thing.  Guess I'll spend the rest of the night with daddy!  See you blogging peoples later! 

-Avery