Happenings

I could try to finally walk you through Ava's first Halloween as a trick-or-treater, but there really wasn't that much to comment about. She was more interested in picking up rocks and leaves and throwing people's mulch on their sidewalks than in carrying her bucket and getting candy. She did however give a pretty good attempt at saying "Trick-or-Treat". It came out more like "Tweet", but at least she said it at the right times!

Always a ham for the camera, she's also started saying "Cheese!" when we get out the camera. We went to a baby shower for Ava's Aunt Koleen a few weeks ago and she wouldn't stop saying it. She would bend over at the hip, hold her arms straight out and lifted above her back, and strain her head up with a massive smile while saying "Cheeeeeesssee!". She was a hit at the party.

Today she started to try to say her name. However, when she says it, it comes out as "A-a" instead of Ava. Seriously guys, she gets cuter every day.

Grandma Nancy let us take home a Little Tykes car when we went up to visit last weekend. She had two because of the daycare she runs out of her home and let Ava have one because she liked it so much. Since then, her interest has turned into an obsession. After figuring out that there is a door only on one side of the car, she's been getting in and out at will. She takes things from around the house and puts them in the trunk area. She watches The Backyardigans through the imaginary windshield. When Sassy is up for it I'll chase her pushing Ava in the car. You heard it here first. If Ava ever runs down innocent lost puppies its my fault.

Tonight we played a game before Ava went to bed where she would get a running start and throw herself on top of my chest. I'd sit up, stand her up a few feet away from me, and prepare for the next full-body press. When Ava finds something she likes she doesn't drop it. She has the endurance of a camel in the desert. Usually this involves me throwing her into the air, dragging her around the living room in the laundry basket, or something else that I can't maintain for too long. This, however, was something I could keep up. All I had to do was keep her from falling on my face and other sensitive parts and I was good to go. We played like this for probably a solid half-hour. Time after time after time she would throw herself on me and squeal with joy. Mom didn't miss out either as Ava soon took to body-slamming her too.