Wakey, Wakey!

This morning I was sleeping soundly when suddenly I was awakened by what initially seemed to be the squealing of a piglet in duress. Turns out it was my daughter. Doni had brought her in to wake me up as she would need to leave for school soon. (Have I mentioned how much I love being on vacation?...)

It occurred to me that Ava rarely sees Doni or I sleeping. She goes to bed long before we do and she isn't able to get herself out of her crib in the morning to see us catching Z's. On the occasion that Doni or I do take a nap it is always while Ava is down for a siesta. Trying to sleep in the midst of a 19 month-old who hasn't yet figured out how to control the volume of her voice... dysfunctional.

Ava and I play a little game where I'll pretend that I'm sleeping. I'll usually snore loudly and keep my eyes open just enough to make sure I'm not about to get a drop-kick to the face. She's sneaky and will try things like that. Typically she'll sneak close to my face and let it rip with her best soprano-range screech. Then I "startle" and we all have a good laugh.

After lunch today, Ava took my finger and led me to "Mom & Dad's bed" for some fun. I think for her its kind of like the ball-pit in a playland - unique and cushioned enough to have a good time without getting hurt. Granted, there's not many ball-pits you can fall out the side of, so she only goes on the bed with Doni or I. We piled the pillows at the head of the bed and I got under the covers. I went for the old "close your eyes and snore" routine as the bones in my middle ear braced for the onslaught of the coming audio hurricane. Instead, Ava turned her head to the side, laid still, and took a couple deep breaths through pursed lips (her attempt at snoring). Just when my ears had relaxed to the soothing rhythm of her breathing, she sprung into her out standby, a squeal that bordered on the upper limits of human hearing. Sassy writhed in agony in the corner of the room. Ava! Who taught you to ambush?!?

Pecking Order

While Sassy was outside earlier today Ava took the opportunity to show her who's boss.

Ava's BFF: Santa

All she wants for Christmas..., originally uploaded by Ava's Antics.

One of a kind

I'm on vacation this month, so I'm staying home with Ava except for the days when I have residency interviews. This has given me more time to enjoy some of her idiosyncrasies. They are as follows:

1. Finger dragging. She grabs Doni or I (sometimes both of us) by the finger and takes us where she wants to go. You could be sitting on the couch, standing in the kitchen, or laying on the floor, but, when she grabs your finger, you better get ready to go. Otherwise you have to put up with her whining as she repeatedly tries to separate your finger from your hand. Just today she has taken me to the pantry for goldfish crackers, led me on a tour around our living room, walked circles around me 5-6 times in a row, and led me to her crib to lay her down for her nap. The saying, "life is a journey, not a destination," has never been truer than when she grasps your finger. You don't know where you're headed, but you're sure to have fun along the way.
2. Dress-up. Ava has gotten more interested in dressing up, mostly with hats and shoes. Today we spent most of the morning with her wearing a pink set of Minnie Mouse ears while I sported the cowboy hat that she mandated be part of my wardrobe. Initially the only shoes she would try to wear around were plastic, heeled shoes whose purpose was dress-up. Then she discovered that she could put on our shoes too. She slowly shuffles around the house taking small steps that drag the shoes so they don't fall off. Last night she put on one of her regular shoes by herself and walked around the living room. With every step on the right foot she would get taller and with every step on the left she would appear to shrink. A little later she ended up correcting her unevenness by putting on the other.
3. Dirty talk. As I picked her up out of her crib earlier this week she said, "poopy". I thought, "That's cute," but didn't give it much credit because she didn't smell poopy. Usually when Ava drops a bomb EVERYONE knows. The front of her diaper didn't feel like she had wet either, so I went to stand her up on the floor. In the process of doing this, I realized that one of two things had happened. Either Ava had in fact been trying to tell me that she had pooped, or she said it on accident and had grown a tail. Either way there were a bump in the back of her diaper that wasn't supposed to be there. I'm expecting the bill from her plastic surgeon any day now.
4. The Fisk Drive-in. Ava continues to watch her favorite shows from the comfort of her stylin' orange and yellow coupe. One thing that has changed though is that she found out if she shimmies the car right up to the TV its like we have a big screen. Who needs 60" when you're only 12" away, right?

The Fisk Drive-in
Originally uploaded by Ava's Antics