Winter is dragging along and this week brings along colds in our house. BLAH, boring, gross piles of snotty tissues, too much indoor time, too much time allocated to browsing for new clothes online (which I don't need), and too much time to think about life. One of my biggest adjustments as a Mom has been my need to be involved with the world...which as you can see only revolves around my family right now. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my family, but I am restless and am always drawn to do more. What is that? I have no idea, but something is always pulling me.

I have known my husband for 15 years now and have been lucky in love. He has always worked way harder than me on his career, which has allowed me to keep looking for my ultimate job, which by the way, in case you didn't know, really doesn't exist. I thought being a stay at home Mom was just what I wanted. I do LOVE it most days but there is still that something pulling at my heart.

My parent's taught me well; work hard to get what you want, take pride in your work, tighten up those stomach muscles and take a deep breath to get through the hard times, and NEVER settle for anything less than you are capable of. To the point...it's ingrained in me to want to do more than stay home and tend to my household. My sister is off in Africa adopting our new addition to the family. Now that's doing more! What can I do to make a difference in the world, no matter how small or how large? Thanks to my Mom and Dad for making me such a restless soul (and I mean this in a good way)!

OH MAN, winter has gotten to me again hasn't it!

Well, I'll take that deep breath, tighten up those muscles and realize I will find more of what I want through my daughter's eyes. She will help me do more and she will encourage me to be a bigger and better person at whatever lies ahead.

If your kid isn't watching Yo Gabba Gabba they are missing out! This is how Ava enjoys her 1/2 hour of tv...that's right she wears her sunglasses!

Welcome to Twenty Ten

WHAT, WAIT, When did 10 years take place? REALLY? I had a great conversation with My Aunt Rosanna and we both agreed the older we get the worse those ten years sound...she reminded me to enjoy every minute of being in my 30's, they are the best, and to just wait, turn 60 and ten years really means something then...that made me laugh out loud.

So much has passed and I hate that I don't spend enough time blogging and writing down our day to day lives. I seem to have my best blog moments at 2 o'clock in the morning, but I 'm too annoyed at the the snoring to even bother writing about my life.

Ava has grown another inch and her brain seems to be in warp speed. Today she asked me for a bowl, two days ago she let me know she needed "wawa" (water) and I almost cried. That's the first time she really communicated something she wanted to me. It's moments like that which remind me why I decided to be a stay at home Mom...I may have missed it, and how cool it is to listen to her form her first words. Mama, Dada, Baba (serbian for grandma), Nonno & Nonna (italian for grandpa & grandma), Tata (a slang form of aunt in italian), Boo, Bird, Ball, Boot, Anna, Wawa, and she says Mailman in a round about way every time he drops off mail.

My favorite new Ava moment....her wearing sunglasses while I call her a movie star. She giggles with glee when I ask her for an autograph and struts off after scribbling on a piece of paper with a pencil. What would I do with out this girl who makes me smile, laugh, and roll my eyes.

That's all I have for today...which by the way has taken me a week to finish. My New Year's Resolution, WRITE MORE so I don't forget it all! Happy New Year to all my friends and family.

"O Christmas Tree"

It was like this Christmas tree was a new toy. Ava threw ornaments around the room, wore beads around her neck, yanked on lights, and nearly pulled the tree down in one swoop. It was fun to decorate and she LOVES to just stand and look at the tree and the few ornaments we did put out. Christmas seems to be taking on a whole new look now that Ava is older. She gets the whole present thing, hates Santa Clause (he is scary looking), but loves for us to read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (which oddly is all about Santa). I am anxious for the great memories on her second Christmas and even more excited to see her face when she gets our present! (I guess you will all have to wait on that one too)

Bring on more snow, eggnog, Christmas parties, wrapping paper pieces all over the floor, and lots of awesome presents to give.

I would like to say our biggest gift this year will be the adoption of our new neice Yamrot! She will be coming from Ethiopia in a few short months. Congratulations to my sister and her family on passing the adoption court date and FINALLY getting their beautiful daughter! We can't wait to meet her!!!!! You can see her beautiful face on my sister's blog.

Is it really December?

I guess November is a blur. Looking back I barely remember what happened. Thank goodness for pictures and video's. The stay at home mom "brain syndrome" is not a lie!

I sit here today awaiting the big snow storm and fretting how I need to run to the store to stock up, but Ava is still sleeping (she had a big day at the Dr.'s) and you know how I HATE the cold. BUT, for Ava's sake I will go and make sure we have what we need in case the power goes out...because for some reason the power goes out almost every December anymore.

Time to weed through the Christmas decorations. A pile for next springs yard sale, a pile for keeping, and a pile for things I would love to pass down to Ava (this means I can't put them out this year, there is potential she will grab and break).

In my mind this picture sums up my fast growing little girl (some of you have seen it, other's have not, hilarious to me none the less. It's a day in the life of potty training, which of course means she has no pants on)...

Happy Birthday to my kick ass husband who works hard, plays hard, and treats me and Ava like we are the center of his universe...well unless he is playing hard. I'm laughing, but you all know it's true! Love you honey!

And now, here is ava.... mn k khd kgghjvvjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjgfdifgvoiffoggggggggggggggg
cvvvvvv vjjn

Well, that's about as understandable as her babble.

Happy Birthday Dejan. Thanks for all you do for us and especially for loving us as much as you do.

Why is this?

Seeing as Dejan and I don't go around hitting ourselves when we get mad or frustrated, nor do we spit our drinks onto the floor, why is Ava doing this? It's like children are animals. They poop and pee on themselves, throw up wherever is convenient, have this never ending dripping snot, spit everything out of their mouths, throw tantrums and hit things. Why is this?  :-)

Potting training is well underway, the snot has stopped for the moment (but I have purchased stock in Kleenex Brand Tissues), I have designated a sponge to cleaning the floor (you know, for all the liquids Ava decides to spit out), the tantrums get ignored to Ava's aggravation hence the hitting herself (I guess to get my attention), and the idea of doing this all over again makes me shutter...don't ask me about another baby and don't ask me what I did all day, I might just hit you! Oh wait; maybe I just answered my original question.

PS. Don' let me fool you, Ava is my biggest love and I'm enjoying every gross, hitting, tantrum. If she's the only child I get, I am the luckiest person alive!