My sunshine

Ava enjoys her "coffee" and cupcake for breakfast on Mommy's birthday.

We both enjoyed Ava's first viewing of my favorite movie, The Wizard of Oz. She was enthralled, and not at all scared...I'm so proud of my brave little munchkin!

Stretching for gymnastics with Daddy.

Balancing the brown beanbag on her head

Ava practices catching the brown beanbag.

Jumping!

Now Mommy helps Ava stretch.

I know this picture is blurry, but it was too fun not to post.

Ava concentrates on the task at hand.

Catching the beanbag!

Ava puts on her gameface and prepares to enter the obstacle course.

"You want me to crawl in there?"

We exchange a "look"

In order to convince Ava to crawl, not walk, across the balance beam we all three had to "meow" like kitties. Finally she did it. Evidently crawling on the beam is much more difficult.

The objective is to step OVER the obstacles on the beam, but I made the mistake of giving the donkey a voice. Then it became a game. Oops, I guess that's why Mommy was in band:)

Ava and Mommy jump on the trampoline. (Please observe the chalk "A" on Ava's leotard. Josh decided to make her a superhero.)

Mantle 2.0

Since I didn't get to smooch the Rocket in high school, I make up for lost time when I can. Thanks to Sarah Miller for my favorite picture of us in a very long time!

Nana treated all three of us to a birthday dinner and an evening of shopping. Thanks Nana! We loved spending time with you.

I'll close this post with lyrics to one of Ava's favorite rocking chair songs. It used to be my rocking chair song with my Papa:

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray,
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

Someday they'll sing it as a duet.

A day at home

I took a personal day off from work and spent some time with my sweet girl. She and Emilee sat in front of the Christmas tree while I made breakfast.

After we ate, we caught up on Jon & Kate Plus 8. Ava loves this show, and calls it "Boys and Girls".

After we made Martha Stewart's Cowboy Cookies, we took lunch to Baba at work.

Ava and I took a picture in one of my favorite spots. This building is my old elementary school. Three of my four grandparents, both of my parents, and my siblings went to school here. It is also the muse that inspired my book (still in progress). I have pictures of me in this exact spot when I was a little girl, and memories of jazz band concerts on the "grassy knoll" behind us. Mmmm...nostalgia.

No, those aren't radioactive carrots. Ava is playing with Play-Doh while Josh and I make dinner. This has become her "spot" while we cook. She loves to be a part of the action!

While we wait for the calzones to bake, Ava and Daddy take in a little Thomas and Friends.

Ava kisses her babies night night, and puts them to sleep in the bed she never sleeps in. There's something about hearing her soft baby breathing while I sleep...maybe when she goes to college she'll use her adorable nursery bedding.

With The Muppet Christmas Carol on TV, The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble playing holiday favorites on the IPod, and a Christmas-crazed mom and dad, Ava helped decorate the house...on November 5. (Josh is standing right beside her, I promise. I just cropped him out.)

Ava tries to help us decide where to put the star topper.

Daddy helps with final positioning.

Smooches in front of the Christmas tree, this picture will be at her wedding reception someday.

Last year Josh and I went to a Christmas Pops concert at Bass Hall with Courtney and Patrick. Since Ava was too little to go, we bought her this ballerina ornament for the tree. When I brought it out of the box she exclaimed, "Dancin' doll!", except it sounded more like "Day-en-cin' daaahl!"

Josh took over mantle-duty this year. His eye for balance and color never ceases to amaze me. This photo is a little blurry, and we have a few more details we want to add. But wow, it really is spectacular, even with the print-rich mantle label for Ava!

Baba bought Ava an icecream cone ornament for the tree this year. Ava would lick it and run over to me with glitter speckling her tongue. I'd give her a drink and help her degrit her mouth. Five seconds later she'd start licking the ornament again. I guess she'll learn eventually, maybe when all the glitter washes off.

Josh already has two presents already under the tree.

Oooh, so does Autumn...except isn't one of them a regift?

Ava received a VERY fun package in the mail from Mimi and Coach. Mamaw helped her open it. Mail was very exciting that day!

On Friday I went to Dallas to hear Lucy Calkins talk about her writing curriculum. For those of you who don't know who she is, she's the Elvis of teaching writing to children. It was an honor to meet her, even though her Yankee ways seemed a little abrupt when we met and she cussed like a sailor during her lecture.

To see all of the pictures from this album follow this link.

Congratulations!

Congratulations President-elect Obama!
Yes we can.

Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther King Jr. could walk. Martin Luther King Jr. walked so Barack Obama could run. Barack Obama ran so we could fly.
~Overheard on NPR

Trick or Treat

Ava rode patiently in the car, waiting for Halloween candy. She's holding a bear that Josh sent me when I was at Tech in October 2003.

A close-up of my sweet black kitty


Ava poses with her new "purse", that's what she called it anyway.


Ava and Uncle Nate


Uncle Nate walks Ava toward the Halloween celebration on Main Street


Daddy helps Ava gather sugary sweets


Yummy candy

Trick or treat

Ava checks her "purse" for candy favorites.

Headed back to the car after a fun Halloween evening.

Here's a look back at last Halloween. Our little Tulip Fairy has grown so much!

Barack-O-Lantern

I'm Barack Obama, and I approve this pumpkin.

Josh carved a Barack-O-Lantern for Halloween. It was a welcome therapy from grueling LSAT practice. Ava wanted nothing to do with the squishy process. More Halloween photos to come.