Start your day the Amazing Ava way...

Did you ever know that fog was funny? Well, apparently it is hilarious! This morning when Ava got up, she went outside with daddy and Bo and saw the fog. Her reaction? Full on laughter!  Daddy was a little confused and asked her her why she was laughing, and she pointed at the fog and said "that's so funny!".

So, of course, after Alex and I got up, I wanted to see this reaction for myself.

Ava, Alex, and I went outside and Ava just laughed. Then she did her bend-forward-at-the-waist-exaggerated-laugh after looking up at the sky again. ...now if you think about it, fog is pretty funny. You can't see the tops of the trees, you can't see more than a couple houses, everything is fuzzy, birds come out of nowhere, it is just a funny sight to see!

This morning, like most mornings, Ava spends most of her time in song. The tune stuck in her head this morning is to the "Where is Thumbkin" song, yet Ava makes up lyrics of her own. Today's go something like this:
Note: if when you are reading this to the tune and you don't think it works, just extend a syllable of your choice to make it work, that's what Ava does ;)

Where is Bo?
Where is Bo?
Where did he go?
I don't know?
Wheeeeere he is?
Wheeeeere he is?
I don't know
I don't know

There's a birdie
There's a birdie
He flied away
He flied away
Wheeeere did he go
He's behind the trees
There he is
There he is

I see two birdies
I see two birdies
Way up there
Way up there
Theeeere are two birdies
Theeeere are two birdies
Way up there
Way up there

..... and so the day continues, filled with laughter due to fog and music in her soul :)

Our annual pumpkin patch outing!!!

Such a beautiful day to go to the pumpkin patch!!! 

Ava was super excited about getting to see all the pumpkins, and little did she know she was going to get to go on a hayride with Vovo pulled by a tractor!!!  We had a fabulous time checking out all the beautiful pumpkins of all sizes and just watching the kids faces.  Alex had a great time, even though he was a little on the tired side (I tried to time it right, but he decided to take his first nap right when we were leaving the house... oh well).

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a few hundred thousand words ;)...

Ava had her ride...

and Alex had his!

2010

2009

...and now a family of four :)

...but so hard to get a picture of all of us looking and smiling at the camera!!

Vovo and her pumpkins :)

Alex the witch and Ava the ghost

Blue skies, green trees, orange pumpkins, and beautiful children make for a great picture!

Alex loving the grass and being surrounded by HUGE pumpkins!

Vovo and Ava waiting to go on the train... but the line ended up being WAY too long, so they decided to go on the hayride instead!

Ava loved the tractor and loved seeing all the things Vovo pointed out to her - when they got back Ava said "Mommy!  I went on a tractor and saw a cow, and a goat, and trees!!!!"

Relaxing in the shade...

Alex loving sitting way up high on the tractor tire!

Alex couldn't get enough of the pumpkins, he wanted to grab ALL of them!

Alex surrounded by gourds!!!

Ava sharing a snow cone with daddy... her "prize" for sitting still for at least a couple pictures ;)

Check out how much Ava has changed since last year! http://thelittlecurtisfamily.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-tradition-is-born-our-annual-visit.html

Ava the problem-solver!

I know I shouldn't be surprised by the amazing things that Ava comes up with, but I am amazed every time!

This morning....

Ava: Mommy, I need to go outside.
Me: Ava, the grass is too wet right now.
Ava: I need to go swing so high.
Me: We'll go a little later when the grass is not so wet, okay?

Ava went outside for a few minutes and came back...
Ava: Mommy, I dried the grass a little bit with a pano. (pano= rag in Portuguese)

:) what do I say to that?

Such a smart girl! She knows what she wants and will figure out how to get rid of anything keeping her from getting it! :)

We had a great day!

What a difference it makes when you know your little ones have had a great day!  Yesterday we all went to work and school, just like any other Tuesday, but yesterday was the first day that Ava did not seem to mind being dropped off at school!

Our normal school dropoff routine consists of Ava helping me take Alex to his classroom, putting his bottles in the refrigerator, getting him settled in, then taking Ava to her classroom, putting her snack/milk in the refrigerator, and trying to get her engaged in activities before I leave.  However, every time I do start to leave she gets upset, calls for me, and needs to have a teacher hold and comfort her.  The teachers always tell me she is fine after 2-3 minutes, but it is still so hard to hear her cry or call for me!

Yesterday, she saw a little friend, was invited by the teacher to go play, and off she went!  Then, when I went to pick her up, she was playing outside and had no interest in going home!!!  The only thing that could convince her to leave was the possibility of ice cream when we got home!  I am so happy she had such a great day at school!!  Ava sang the whole ride home, just happy as can be (although the singing is pretty much what she does on every car ride - no need for the radio anymore).  After getting home, she happily ate all her dinner and knew that she was going to get the green popsicle she had already chosen right after for dessert.

...and look who is sitting up all by himself!

We are so blessed.