Go Gurl

Ava is officially a crawler. She's been experimenting with it the last few weeks. But, this weekend she sealed the deal and took her first synchronized, up on hands and knees walk. She's quite wobbly and oh so cute. I loved that determined look she gets on her face when she sets her sights on Julianna's baby doll, my cell phone, or any non-edible paper item.

AND...

Ava said Mama today. Very clearly. I've been wondering if what I'd been hearing was such. Now I know. Yea Ava. (yea me!)

Florida Vacation

This is Grandma, Grandad, and Dicky's church. It's my favorite church to visit. Maybe because it's the closest thing to a home church for me. I grew up in this church, went to school here early on, and have come back to visit for the past thirty-one years. It's beautiful, calm, airy, and the people always welcome me. They remind me of all the ways I've changed and all the ways I've stayed the same.

Jules and Grandma J

I love this picture.

Grandad and Julsie

This was so sweet for me. Grandma was a key figure in my learning to swim. She's so gentle and caring here with Jules. Just what my girl needed.

Grandma and Ava

Splishin' and a splashin'

This was my favorite place in the pool when I was little, too. The first step. It was perfect. Safe. Yet, still completely in the pool.

Ava and Mommy

Ava loves the pool!

Happy swim dance!

Jules looks up to her daddy so much. She even turned her sun glasses around (she prefers to wear them upside down mostly) to be like dad.

The tousled, wind-blown, natural look.

Mormor and Ava

Kirsten and Jules

A few more pics from Kari's visit

Super-star.

Julianna entertains herself while we shop for swimsuits.

Waiting at the derm clinic.

Where is thumbkin?

An Afternoon At the Children's Museum

It always looks like we're feeding Ava spoonfuls of pudding...but it's prunes.
What Kari would look like if she were a grasshopper.
Future Pilot?

This was the first official wave given to me by Ava!

Fresh Homebaked Goodness in Every Bite

My Mormor was/is one of my all-time favorite people. She was everything I could have ever wanted in a grandmother and role model. Her legacy of generosity, hospitality, and good cooking lives on today in our hearts and as we live out her example. My cousin Kari has been visiting us this week and we've been cooking up a storm. Among the creations...Mormor's rolls!

Kari, head baker

I was amazed that you let these rise in the frig?!

Not uniform...on purpose.

Heavenly!

It's time for Peach Cobbler! Kari's special recipe. Soooo good.

Mmm. Pells good! Cinmin.

Yum-oh!

Dumplin' and Kari

The Playroom

Sittin' Pretty

Snugglin' with dad and soakin' up all that love.

Her first French Braid

Chalk It Up!

Maximum creativity is achieved when you use both hands.

Couscous, The Algerian Detective

Hello, my name is...Couscous.

I am a mysterious detective.

I take this disguise and job quite seriously.

My first case...will be to find my way out of this scarf.

Nope. Not that way.

Hmm. This is really quite a spacious scarf.

AH-HA! Case solved.

Burka? Not so much.

My parents (a long time ago) read me a story from a Richard Scary book called Couscous, The Algerian Detective. Dad would always pronounce it "de-tect-EEF." It was one of my favorites, as were most Richard Scary stories: Lowly Worm, Peasant Pig... Julianna has taken a fondness to this scarf mom brought back from Morocco this summer. She carries it everywhere, wraps it around herself and says, "I'n cold mom. I'n gonna wrap dis carf round me. It keeps me warm."

Our Corner of the World

So, I forgot to tell you about the new things Ava is up to these days. First, Chad got his first "dah-dah" a week ago. She made a concerted effort to say it three times to make sure we understood she meant business. Second, she sat herself up yesterday. Yup. From tummy to sitting up/all proud of myself position. Third, she's getting up on all fours and has made many attempts to coordinate her movements. We've gotten as far as one scoot. Then a tumble follows. Julianna loves when she gets up to attempt a crawl. She usually yells, "I'n gonna jump over Ava!" Which of course is redirected immediately! : ) Fourth, well...she's just not very content it seems these days. We're in the transition time of being able to pick things up TO sit up TO not yet crawling TO not always comfortable laying on my tummy or my back or sitting up. She's wanting the scenery to change rather quickly and I'm not always able to keep pace. Plus, I'm learning all too well that it's easy to forget about her schedule in the wake of a toddler. With Jules I was able to predict when she would be hungry. With Ava I think, "Hmm. She's fussy because...Oh, she probably wanted a snack about thirty minutes ago." With the addition of solids, I'm trying to figure out how much she wants to nurse, too. At one point I was wondering if I wasn't feeding her enough...or too much... One thing is for certain, if I'm in the room- she wants to be in my arms.

Julianna is all about going to "Cool" (school) these days. She wants to take her "pack-pack" and "wunch box," too. Since we are wanting her to have more peer interaction we've found the perfect solution. It will be four hours per week. I hope she just loves it!

Julianna's latest love is t.v. She's always liked watching a video here and there. But, in our new rental house the t.v. is on the main level (before it was in the basement/hard to get to). Every bit of time that I don't have planned she asks sweetly, "Please, just a little tv?" Sometimes she handles the "no" well...other times it's the end of civilization as we know it. PBS Kids and Disney are of course her favorites. And, I have to say I've laughed out loud during a couple of Hannah Montana episodes. And yet, I just loathe the idea of her watching tv regularly. I so see how it can become a babysitter for children. It won't take me I alive I say! It's just so very tempting to turn it on if I have to make a phone call or cook or etc. I'm battling it out in my head at the present time. How much, when, how to I monitor this without being a bad gal?

In other news, Jules is quite taken with music and making up her own songs. My personal favorite remains, "I'm Not a Princess Anymore." Today she sang a soft ballad entitled, "It's a Child's Choice." ? Her favorite song for me to sing is "Matchmaker" from Fiddler on the Roof. Today, she took the tune of "I Like to Eat Eat Eat Apples and Bananas" and made up her own lyrics. I was impressed. And, any day of the week she'll chime in with B-I-N-G-O, Only A Boy Named David, Zachias, Mr. Sun, Where is Thumbkin?, and Pop Goes the Weasel. While singing she loves to somersault and hop. What a little monkey. : )

Sweet Days of August

Any Farmers' Market that gives away free pink balloons is my kind of place!

Wow. That's one big balloon sis'!

Airplane rides from Grandma!

Uncle Steve aren't you sooooo jealous?!

This thing lets you paint with your finger!

WEEE!

Mom, it's not nice to take pics just after a girl wakes up from a nap.