Avery's EVIL Twin!!

Why is it that whenever you have things you HAVE to do, the kids go CRAZY, even when they are normally easy going and well behaved?!!! We are getting ready to go out of town tomorrow and I HAVE to pack up the kitchen and get EVERYTHING out of the front of the house, so our contractor can tear out our kitchen, take down a few walls, etc.. while we are gone, plus I also HAVE to pack our bags. Yesterday, EVERYTHING I did, Avery un-did (I know that is not really a word, but just go with it). Every item of clothing I folded, she UNFOLDED, everything I packed, she UNPACKED, everything I put away, she GOT OUT AGAIN, everytime I got Finley to sleep, Avery WOKE HER UP before I could even set her down! By the time Paul got home....I was on the verge of having a meltdown! I worked so hard all day, yet had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to show for it- I was no closer to marking items off my TO-DO list at the end of the day, then I was at the beginning. ARGGGG! Hopefully today will be better?! But, I still have my full list of things I HAVE to get done, so Avery's evil twin will be out again in all her glory!!! Wish me luck!

Fall is Here!

From September to the end of December is my absolute FAVORITE time of the year! I love everything about fall!

The smells, the changing colors (not so much around here), freshly picked apples, apple cider, pumpkins, warm chili with cornbread on a cold day, all the holidays, celebrations, parties, the crispness in the air (again, not so much around here) and time with family.

One of my very favorite things to do (when it is open and ESPECIALLY in the fall) is go to the Avila Valley Barn. I love to take the girls,

go on tractor hay rides, take pictures of them within the mountains of pumpkins, feed the animals, and just have fun! We have been escaping there quite frequently with all the banging around that is being done in the house! I would go there every day if our schedule would allow! Avery asks on a regular basis to go as well!

It is a wonderful place!

Avery's Newest Phrases

Last night we were finishing up dinner and about to start Family Home Evening when Avery asked to watch The Backyardigans (one of her favorite shows on Noggin/Nick Jr.). Paul told her "No" and said that we were instead going to be watching a DVD about the Book of Mormon (we have been using the Book of Mormon Stories DVD from the church distribution center as our lesson for F.H.E. and it has been great- the "chapters" are just the right length for a toddler's attention span). Her response... "Book of Mormon?! Cool!" This coming from my 2 1/2 year old just cracks me up!

Avery is really starting to talk in full sentences and use "Big People" phrases. Today we were sitting in the car in our driveway, as I was debating if I should get everyone out, or just turn around and leave again- a contractor was still at the house using a power chisel or something to get the windows out (yes, we are starting phase III of our remodeling project...wish us luck and pray for my sanity!) and the noise was absolutely unbearable. Avery apparently wanted to get out of her carseat because her little voice piped up from the backseat, "Get me out of here!" However, after she heard the noise, she refused to walk in the house and insisted on getting back in the car.

Avery has also been practicing the fine art of manners and introduction. We take a walk most evenings as a family and we past a corral with a horse in our neighborhood. Avery LOVES horses! This particular horse is very friendly and trots over to the fence when she hears us coming. A few months ago (and several times since then), we stopped for a moment to say "hi" to the horse and Avery started talking to her. "Hi horsey! I'm Avery," then she turned to each of us and gestured with her hand, "this is Mommy, Daddy, and Finny." Paul and I thought that was the cutest and most hysterical thing!

I just love the things that kids come up with! They are such sponges! They mimic EVERYTHING they see and hear! (Good thing I sound like a complete idiot when I have ever tried to curse- it just doesn't suit me, so I have really never done it.) I can't wait to hear what is going to come out of Avery's mouth next (and soon Finley's too)!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

This was the best birthday present EVER from my sweet baby girl (with help and prompting from a wonderful daddy and husband!)! Melt my heart! It brings the BIGGEST smile to my face every time I watch it!

Words I Never Thought I Would EVER Have To Say!?

"STOP WIPING POOP ON YOUR SISTER!!!" Yes, I actually found myself saying this to Avery the other day. SERIOUSLY?! Yes, seriously. Avery had a dirty pull up (we are moving in the direction of potty training, but we are obviously not there yet), so I left Finley on the chair and went to the other room to grab another pull up and some wipes. I was gone for 15 seconds MAX, but when I walked back into the room I found Avery wiping the contents of her diaper on her sister! Mind you, it could have been worse- the contaminated area was isolated to one spot on Finley's pants- I have heard worse stories for sure, but it was still completely disgusting!Sweet little Finley was completely unfazed. She just smiled away, looking as cute as could be.

Avery did not fully comprehend what she had done, but I think after my ranting, she knew she did something wrong! Look at that face... full of remorse!

I still remember (I was older- about 9 or so) when we were driving in L.A. with my mom and we were not in the best neighborhood when my little brother David(who was 4 at the time) needed to go pee. My mom did not want to stop, so she asked me to hold a coke bottle for him. As if that wasn't traumatic enough, we went over train tracks as he was "mid-stream" and his aim was compromised! I became his haphazard target! Oh, the emotional scars! I still shutter at the thought!

This incident is similar... it will be one of those things that Avery will never live down. Finley might not be old enough to remember, but I am sure over the the years this story will be retold enough that she will know what happened. Then, when they are teenagers and Finley wants to embarrass Avery in front of her friends, she will bring it up... "hey, remember that time that you smeared poop all over me?!" Poor thing!

Front Yard Fireworks

We just got home from family dinner at Paul's parents house and as we were getting settled, we heard a very loud banging sound. I thought someone was taking a baseball bat to the side of the house... Paul thought someone was hitting the car!!! Either way, we ran outside to see what the heck was going on. It turns out that there was a HUGE fireworks show going on (like BIG 4th of July type fireworks).



We think it was an end of summer bash at the country club that our neighborhood backs up to. We had a perfect front yard view! It went on for at least 30 minutes!! Avery at one point said .... "Mickey Mouse" (meaning Disneyland)! Fourth of July was a bust this year down in Pismo because of the fog or "marine layer" as it is kindly called around here, so the last fireworks she remembers are the ones at Disneyland. Anyway, we had a nice little end of summer fireworks show tonight... an unexpected, but fun surprise!!

Princess or Tom Boy?!!

This is what happens you give my little princess (and I do mean princess in every sense...here in the new dress up dress that YaYa got her)

(this would have been a great picture, if Avery hadn't put her messy, wet hands all over the mirror!!! Oh well!!!)

a play sword and let her run with the boys....

WATCH OUT!!!

We had a baby shower for our good friend Jeanette and her new baby boy Colin on Saturday. Ed, Jeanette, and Dylan were our neighbors in our last house. We moved to San Luis, and they moved to Oxnard! We miss them sooooo very much! Avery and Dylan have so much fun whenever we get together (that is Dylan above that Avery is attacking!!). He has a way of bring out her WILD side!!!

Waterpark Fun!

We spent the day at The Ravine Waterpark in Paso Robles on Monday for Labor Day. We had a GREAT time! It was the perfect place to be, given that it was 100+ degrees even in San Luis. It is a great place....especially for the little ones! The park is owned by one of our neighbors down the street who has little kids, so he said that they designed it with his own kids in mind. They have 4 BIG water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool (Avery calls it the "ocean"), and a HUGE kiddie pool that has 6 slides, a play structure, and never gets deeper than 1 1/2 feet!! We spent all day there playing in the water and resting in the cabana- it was so relaxing and fun! The season is ending next week, but we plan to be there a lot next summer!

Here are a few pictures from our day at Ravine!

My mom and Larry in the Lazy River!Avery started out the day pretty timid- she wanted to wear the life jackets (that are provided) and wouldn't go down the kiddie slides without one of us going with her!!!Paul on one of the BIG slides... this picture doesn't show how tall the slide is, but it is VERY tall and very FAST! I only went once....that was enough for me! Uncle Bubba and Finny chillin' in the kiddie pool!YaYa and the girls!Finley wasn't so sure about the water at first, but she warmed up to it as the day progressed!Avery and YaYa playing in the "ocean" (the wave pool).Relaxing and napping in the cabana. Avery on an ice cream break!Sharing with Daddy...sweet girl!This is Avery AFTER our lunch break... she was absolutely fearless! She was going down all of the slides by herself, over, and over, and over again! Daddy and Avery after he caught her at the end of one of her slide runs! Avery taking a "shower" in one of the water spouts in the kiddie pool! One of Avery's favorite things to do was go through the tunnels of the play structure in the kiddie pool.
Finley looks so cute in her suit and hat!And, they are OUT! Both the girls were asleep before we even pulled out of the parking lot! They got a pretty good nap on the drive home!

Look-a-like Meter

I found this Look-alike Meter on the website called My Heritage... a genealogy website that has some fun tools and applications. I thought it was interesting, so I tried it out! Everyone always comments on how much the girls look like me, but Paul says that if they could see past their coloring (which is obviously from my side of the family) they would see that the girls have more of him in them than just his ears! Well, according to this, he is right! With the face recognition technology they employ, the Look-alike Meter says that Finley looks more like Paul than she does me! Paul was happy to hear the results! Finally, some vaildation!

"Heart-Shaped Medallion"

It is the end of a very long, very HOT day and the girls are both in bed- and it is not even 8:00 p.m. yet! With the thunder and lightning last night, none of us got much sleep, so everyone is super tired (me included)! Paul is at a church meeting, so I was left to man the night-time routine by myself. We brush teeth (we have to get those "sugar bugs"), read scriptures, say family prayers, Avery says her prayers, and then we sing songs. Paul, a lot of the time, does Avery's prayers with her and singing songs while I get Finley down. Well, tonight I had the pleasure... it is such a sweet time- I love it! The last song that Paul always sings to her is "Heart Shaped Medallion" by David Wilcox. It is the sweetest little song. The lyrics are:

If I had a spell of magic,
I would make this enchantment for you:
A burgundy heart-shaped medallion,
With a window that you could look through,
So that when all the mirrors are angry,
With your faults and all you must do,
You can peak through that heart-shaped medallion,
And see you through my point of view.

Anyway, I sang that to her tonight and she got all excited. She looked at me like "you know that song too?!" Then, as I was singing, she held her hands in a heart shape up to her eyes and then put them up to my eyes to "look through" them. Paul had told me before that she has done this with him, but I had never witnessed it myself until tonight. Neither Paul, nor I have taught her any motions to this song (we have to other songs, but not this one). She came up with that all on her own. Sweet, sweet girl! Moments like this make the rest of the crazy times, when I want to pull my hair out, all worth it!