Silly Faces Anyone?

Avery's on a new kick of exploring the expressions she can make. It all started one day when she tried to take the top off of one of her fake bottles of cleaning suppplies (funny story regarding cleaning supplies coming soon). She pulled so hard on the lid, while it did not budge, that she shook all over, eyes wide and mouth open. I laughed so hard that she looked at me and realized she did something funny. Of course the silly face appeared again even though she wasn't trying to get the lid off.

So, now one of her favorite things to do is look in the mirror or at one of us and make goofy faces. I tried to capture the main funny one, but our camara is just too slow so what you're seeing is the tail end.

Of course after she makes her faces, she laughes at herself, so that's what the second picture is.


Regarding the cleaning supply story...

Kenny's mom sent Avery a vacuum cleaner, broom and dust pan a while back, complete with a box of detergent and two bottles of cleaning sprays. (All miniatures of course.)

Avery has recently re-discovered the bottles of supplies and enjoys chewing on the tops while her teeth hurt, taking the lids off, etc.

The other day while Kenny and I got ready for church, Avery sat in the floor, playing. I saw she had one of the bottles in her mouth, but of course thought nothing of it. Kenny, however, did not. As I walked into the bathroom, I heard, "Oh my goodness! Are you eating that!!!" (Then after taking the bottle from her), "Did you drink the whole thing!!!" He exclaimed, running toward me. (Well, I exaggerated a little..there was no running.) After I stopped laughing, I explained to him that they were 'pretend,' hence their small size, and that Avery would be just fine because there was nothing in them from the beginning.

Maybe that was a 'you had to be there' story, but for some reason it cracks me up.

(In all seriousness, I'm glad he was concerned about the well-being of our daughter.)

Paintdrops + Lollipops

I think deep down everyone has the desire to manage their own time, not be stuck inside a dreary (or even a not-so-dreary) office on a pretty day, or be available to go to their child's game or field trip without worrying about taking time off. Don't get me wrong. I am glad I experienced four years of working in the real world, and even better that I got to work in the field of advertising (which I spent my college years studying toward).

But...I've tasted freedom now that I'm home with Avery...and I don't want to go back...Ever.

The phrase, "you could sell that" resounds in my ears everytime I design, create, sew, or re-finish something. The wise words of my all-knowing mother. She's been the drive behind me most of my life, even after I gained the other best friend in my life who has the special knack to make me realize I can almost always go beyond the limits I set for myself.

So, with my mom and Kenny in the wings, I've decided to go for it.

And it's helped that I've met a friend, Ashley, with whom I have so much in common, and as an added bonus, has even more talents that help balance me out in areas where I'm lacking.

In other words, Ashley and I have created Paintdrops & Lollipops. A place for fabulous finds for women, baby and home. We've been planning and working for a while now and we're learning that there is going to be much more to come. The best part is that we're terribly excited for the opportunity to use our creative talents to establish a successful business.

Paintdrops + Lollipops will offer products ranging from children's furniture, totes, jewelry, original art, invitations for all occasions, birth announcements, to handmade pillows for tots, teens and home.

Our website is in the making, with a tentative launch date for mid February. We also plan to travel for on-site shows in Montgomery and surrounding cities.

So, for now we request prayers for peace of mind, patience and success. In the meantime, please help us spread the word!

Below is a preview of some of our featured items. Check out Ashley's site for more fabulous finds!

One! Ah Ah Ah!

Our Avery has learned something new...Again. And I'm sure it's due to watching Sesame Street, working with Momma, Daddy and her pal Chris, who reads to her whenever she wants.

Drumroll please...

Avery can count! Yes, with numbers. She's not that great when you ask her to show off, but when she's in her own little world, we'll catch her counting. During her bath yesterday, I was singing the counting song from Sesame Street. I got to three, and she took over from there. Then she got stuck saying "ate, nin, ten" over and over and over.

Today Kenny and I went to lunch with Avery at a Chinese restaraunt. There were fish everywhere (along with Santa Clause, wreaths, and garland, but that's another story). I asked her to count the fish. She said, "one, tee, foe, fife, sicks, ate, nin, ten!" Yes, she skipped two and seven. I asked her again. This time she skipped four and seven. Lucky number seven; or is it unlucky?

Anyway, I'm proud of my 19 month old child who can count. Or maybe it's just memorize. Either way, she's still learning!

Cause and Effect

Avery and I have spent part of our morning building "tall" (in Avery's words) towers and then of course knocking them down. It's hard to tell which part is her favorite because she enjoys building, but she also squeals with delight when they all come crashing down.

...Maybe we have an architect on our hands. Or possibly a demolition expert?

(Yes, that is a santa hat. She loves walking around with stuff on her head. This is the latest.)

I'm a Supa Star!

I stole this from Laura and Kenny. Different pictures yielded different results except for Vanessa Marcil. Huh?

http://www.myheritage.com

A View of the North Pole!

Below you'll see pictures from our fun filled day at the North Pole (two days after the blizzard and the day before the park closed for the season!) We got there just in time!

Cool Slideshows

A Taste of Things To Come

Here you will find some of our pictures in the snow, as promised. I get cold just looking at them.

It's taking a while for me to get them edited...who knew it would be time consuming to skim through over 430 pictures?!

The last picture is from our day at the Garden of the Gods. The last time I was there, I was a little older than Avery, so it was fun to go back and share that experience with her.

I'll post more later from our day at the North Pole.

Pictures

We get home tomorrow, so I promise I'll post pictures as soon as we get settled in!

(I haven't been able to get them off our camara at either of our families' homes.)