We are very, very busy!

I usually only post once a week, but the past couple of days have been jam packed with activities. If I wait until Wednesday my camera may explode.

On Thursday Ava and I were excited to host Laura and Theo Zeltner for breakfast (Gus was at preschool). Oliver (the husband/daddy) is in Josh's section at the law school. Ava loved playing with a baby.

Sweet touches

We decided to try some shaving cream letter writing. Ava exclaimed, "Mmmm, it smells like Daddy!" At first she tried writing with her fingers.

Then decided it was too icky.

She requested to use a pencil. I'm not kidding. I can't make up this stuff.

Concentrating on her name, click to make this picture larger.
She's getting really good at writing her name.

J and JK have introduced us to a new park. There is a large pond, playground, walking trail AND ducks and geese. The girls were checking out the wildlife.

Ava trying to pull the shade down on the stroller, not thrilled to be so close to the birds.

Talking with Grandmother Tree, her voice sounds a lot like JK's.

Strolling around the pond

Playing their own version of tetherball

The angle of this video is not ideal, but the giggles are totally worth the neck pain.

Another beautiful (and slightly warmer) day at Cambridge Park.

Hamming

JK made her laugh in this shot.

On Friday night we headed to Orr Family Farm to visit the pumpkin patch. Gus (far left) is a fellow law orphan*. The cutie in the middle is his cousin. There were also two tiny babies on this adventure, but they were busy having their diapers changed at this point.

*Law Orphan - child of a law student
see also Law Widow - wife of a law student

Ready for pumpkins!

Look how tall she is this fall!

This girl LOVED the sheep.

Hugging her new friends

She did not want to leave their pen.

Snuggle bunny

Two cute chicks

Practicing her cow milking skills

First-ever hay ride back from the pumpkin patch

A little bummed that the spontaneous rain shower kept the train parked at the station. We get to go back and ride another day. To ease the train pain she picked out a cute lamb backpack. She named it Shiver.

Saturday was a day of birthdays. First was a princess themed party for our new friend Gabby, also a law orphan.

Party games with Noah, another law orphan.

Stick the jewel on the tiara!

Making some noise with Mommy

Cake time

After a long afternoon nap we headed to a Thomas themed party for Gus. Ava just so happened to have THE perfect outfit.

"Alright birthday boy, you're stealing my Thomas thunder."

Playing in the backyard

She even has a Thomas cup? What a gal.

Is this normal?

Josh will be attending a dinner with Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy on Thursday night. The dress: business dressy. So on Sunday afternoon we went suit shopping. We knew this would happen eventually in law school, just never dreamed it would be so soon. Ava kept herself entertained while Daddy shopped.

Working to get the perfect fit

My handsome fella'
The suit should be ready and freshly tailored on Wednesday afternoon AND it was 50% off, woohoo!

Sunkipper

Mondays are our library day. There is a toddler story time at 9:30, and a preschool story time at 10:30. Sometimes we make both. Sometimes we don't. The princess wakes up any time between 8:30 and 9:30. I'll wake her up for farmer's market mornings, but not library. We'll get there when we get there. And unlike the best vegetables, the books will still be there.

Here are Ava and her B.F.F. Grace enjoying a song to kick off the morning.

"Two little monkeys jumping on the bed,

One fell off and bumped his head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,

No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

Play-Doh mornings are the best.

Ava enjoys her time spent with J and JK each afternoon. They have become two of her "best friends in the old world."

(She says "old" for "own", for instance: "I want to do it by my old self.")

Here is J with his incredibly imaginative eraser army.

Ava is fascinated.

Not the most natural smile, but cute all the same.

Her attention span doubles with J.

If I could edit out that water spout this would be a great picture.

Many many thanks to Leah Crow for magic-ing out the unsightly water spout!

One more shot of the army

Swinging with JK

Admiring her skills

When we leave J and JK's house Ava sobs big heartbreaking tears. Every single day. She loves spending time with them and their fun toys. Part of the reason for the meltdown each evening is that she is zonked. Because of my nannying schedule, Ava's naps are unbelievably late. When we show up to Wednesday night church with a sleeping toddler eyebrows are raised. Grandparents call to talk to her late evening, and are shocked that she's asleep. Normally she falls asleep in her carseat on my trip from J and JK's house to our Castle, around 5:15. She sleeps until around 7:00. While she naps I have time to make dinner and spend a little time with Josh. If she is still out when dinner is ready, Josh and I eat together. When Ava wakes up she eats dinner and we walk, play, love on HLS, sew, catch up on Pooh or Wonderpets, color, play the keyboard, talk to grandparents, and then around 10:30 I put her back down for the night. She sleeps, as I've mentioned above, until between 8:30 or 9:30 the next morning. I promise she is rested, happy, healthy, and so loved. Sure the sleeping schedule is strange, but it works for us. This next picture shows a typical evening.

If you click to make the picture larger you'll see Ava delighting in dinner over my sewing area. The Wonder Pets were using teamwork to save a baby animal in the background as we discussed whose Christmas present I was working on. Josh was in the other room studying, also very typical these days. We could not be more proud of his hard work!

The flip side of the living room

Martha would be utterly appalled at this makeshift craft area, but all the under-table studios are spoken for.

On our way to the farmers market this morning we saw a train!

Two of Ava's favorite things in one morning, F.M. and a train.

And then there were PUMPKINS!

Actually the pumpkins and gourds made their F.M. debut last week, but of course I forgot my camera.

This trailer was filled with the most gorgeous fall fruit you've ever seen.

Market snuggles on a chilly morning, note the sweaters

A kind vendor saw that I was snap happy and offered to let Ava use his snazzy backdrop.

F.M. trio squinting in the sun

A milk, egg, and cheese run to Target turned into a slow trudge through the toy aisle.
Okay, I admit it wasn't quite a trudge. JK has a noisy doll that Ava is obsessed with. This doll is the catalyst for some of the goodbye tears.T he Target circular had advertised Circo dolls on sale for $10. I couldn't help myself. It's not like Ava was longing for a Vera Wang wedding dress. Plus, I've sold 3 Breasticle Vesticles (fabric formerly known as Hooter Hiders/HH/Nurz/Nursing Drapes) this week. One of Josh's law school friends renamed them after I gifted one to his sweet wife. Wow, I am really chasing rabbits tonight. So this is the $10 baby that made Ava's day. I immediately asked her what the doll's name was.

Sunkipper of course...no idea where that came from but it fits. She is the sweetest doll. She blinks, coos, cries, laughs, sucks on the bottle, says mama, and moves like a real baby while she eats. I'm in love, um, I mean Ava's in love.

On my way to pick up J each day I pass these too-cute pumpkins. Today we were early so I stopped. I want to come back when Ava's costume is complete and take some more pictures. I hope the nursery doesn't sell them before then.

Ava had to check things out first.

Smiles all around

Happy fall everyone!