Freedom is...

riding your bike alone for the first time.  Ava did it tonight!!  We laughed together, she squealed in delight a lot, and then a small tear popped up from me.  Her first taste of freedom and I got to help her learn to feel it.  I had no gadgets on me so it was a real moment with no interruptions from technology.  They should all be that way! It was much more special to focus only on her instead of fumbling around for my IPhone to capture a moment that already past.

I can't wait to help her take off again tomorrow...maybe this time with a camera.  :-)

Dutch for a day...

 OOPS! 

We weren't really very good at following rules in Pella, IA.  There were a lot of signs to control your children and walk with your hands behind your back, which kind of made us want to do everything naughty.

When my sister captured this guy (dutch chuckie) we just lost it.  We laughed a lot on this trip and made some really good memories.  It's not that Pella is a bad town, it just made us giggle a lot. So in case you don't know, we have sick minds, and like my sis said, our poor kids probably left there afraid of everything Dutch...windmills, mannequins,  dust ("too dusty mommy" said between over dramatic coughs from my daughter), old houses, miniature villages, and elevators.  Yes, elevators.  I was scared to get on one and  ended up making two little girls cry (not on purpose. they seemed to sense my fear), a sister smirk, and a little boy stand there looking at us girls like "what the f*** is wrong with these girls and WHY am I always stuck with them!?!?"   You see what I mean, lots of laughing went on.

On a nicer note, the meat market had THE BEST sandwiches and dried beef dip, it was the cleanest Iowa town on record, everyone was super friendly (Minus the lady in one shop we stopped at. I'm pretty sure she was on to our naughtiness), and there was plenty to do for the entire day.  Even the playground had a sign posted apologizing for the mulch not being down until July.  REALLY!!!????  An apology sign at the playground?  Raise your hand if you get the feeling there is something weird going on?  :-)

I'll stop talking and just post some fun pictures now.  It really was a great time and I recommend visiting when you get a chance.

  

It was a little windy at the top of the windmill...

I naturally screamed when the tour guide made me stand where my sister is standing.  It gives you a free falling sensation.  So guess what, I even made the tour guide laugh.  You see, lots of laughing was

not an exaggeration. 

 The miniature village...where our children did NOT walk with hands behind their backs

  

Coffee shop break.

  

And finally, finding this helped take a little of our suspicions go away.  :-)



Cherry harvest

Like everything this spring, the cherries came a month early and with an abundance not seen in quit a few years.  Enough for us, the birds, the squirrels, and the chipmunks...we did still enjoy scaring them off. :-)

I busted "A&A" standing on the ladder after telling them to wait for me...they of course smiled big.

Then the work began.  These two girls picked the entire time and helped harvest eight cups of cherries!  They then ditched me and spent the rest of the day inquiring when the pie would be ready to eat. 

AND THEN...THERE WAS PIE!!!

This day was full of fun, but my favorite moment was when these cousins hugged in excitement and squealed,  "today is going to be the best day ever!!!!!!"

Feet

I call this post feet because her feet are the only thing that didn't grow this school year; you may notice she is still wearing the same sandals in both her first day of school picture and her last day of school picture.   :-)

She has had an amazing year of school with two of the most amazing teachers to encourage her along the way.  Thank you to Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Glosser (and Seton Catholic School) for making Ava's first year of school memorable in so many ways, and for also teaching the kids ALL the President's of the United States.  Graduation tomorrow is sure to bring another tear to my eye, and some of the kids who are moving onto Kindergarten will be missed dearly.

Withdrawals

It is well known my daughter still used a binky to fall asleep at night. She would sleep all night without it, but we would find it back in her mouth in the morning; who knows when she woke up and grabbed it. All I know is, we have been sleeping really well for four years...UNTIL NOW! Woowza! Talk about binky withdrawals for all of us.

We had been preparing her for months, "when you turn four, the binky fairy comes to take it and she will leave you a present in its place", so she knew it was coming.  She was weepy the first night, but not throwing a fit. I encouraged her, telling her how smart, strong, & determined she is and how proud of her we were.  This seemed to work, but it took a week of whining, about not being able to sleep without it (which she did just fine each time) and four...yes four nights, of little presents from the binky fairy. This girl is smart. She didn't need that binky, she just wanted a gift. She sucked me into her fake whining for four nights, but when the huge fit came for not getting what SHE wanted from the fairy, we pulled the plug on the fairy (don't ever underestimate your toddler's brain power to sucker you in).

She has done fabulous sleeping without it, minus one problem, she now wakes up an hour and a half earlier than she used to (can you hear my sleepiness! I feel like I'm back in that baby stage). People! We have been sleeping in until 8/8:30 for four years! The 6:30am crap doesn't work for me. 6:30am is my calmly waking up time...stretch, glass of water, bathroom to clean up, work out, eat a bowl of cereal, facebook, email, news, start laundry; well, you get the picture, I do things for myself without interruption.  This past week, my 6:30 started out with a bang from her door opening, a grumpy face, pathetic eyes pleading for a binky, a whine about the binky not being there to help her go back to sleep, a smack in the face from a stuffed toy when I tried to roll over to go back to sleep, I'm hungry, I'm tired, I want to go downstairs, GET UP MOM...more pushing on the face, is the binky fairy coming again tonight, because I want (insert some crazy request). Now comes my grumpiness, and don't mess with me if you start me off in a bad mood. Her and I had to stay in separate rooms each morning until we both cooled off. She watched TV, I read the news on my IPad, 1/2 hour later we came together; hugged, kissed, and moved on to the rest of the day...until the bewitching hour of 4:00pm...you get the picture here; sassiness oozing from my toddler having withdrawals from that binky and lack of sleep. It was like her happy drug and the happy drug was gone. She was suddenly an angry, aggressive, whining toddler (NOT Ava at all).

WE HAVE ALL BEEN MISSING THAT BINKY...

Until this morning...she was all smiles and back to herself at a late 7:08am.  :-)  Just like that. Another trying week passes and we all survived unscathed and almost used to the early morning call for motherhood.

AAAAHHHH memories...I thought this one was quit appropriate for this post.  :-)

Turning Four...

What a grand party this little girl had again! 

up at 6am and ready to party

one of few pictures of the three of us

the singing we did for her made her pout

(we are all pretty sure we disappointed her when we sang loud and off key

 instead of something more like in a princess movie complete with pixie dust)

a party wouldn't be complete without Nick climbing up something, and a pink bike to make her day

You can tell by the crazy smile on her face that having her cousins here made her "super cited", and

I really could have made a blog just on the pictures with the three of them and that gigantic spider...
the funniest part, Sam.  He had the same pose in every one and was ready to take that spider out if need be.

Finally, what four year old wouldn't LOVE to have a Francesco car...Ava that is. 

 It was her least favorite gift.  :-(  Guess who got it for her?  US!  (insert double sad face)

Happy 4th Birthday sweet girl!

Leader

Being leader at school is always a big deal, & the last time being leader for the school year is no exception. Dress, belt, earrings, CARS for show & tell, & her BUZZ backpack all capture my daughter to a tee. Sparkly, sweet, quiet, smart, happy, courageous, loving, sassy, giving, & super tall. That's my sweet girl & I've got a tear in my eye thinking she is turning four in two days. She has changed so much & I can't wait to post about her final day of school & what a wonderful experience we have all had.