Recovery Week

Our Easter week began a little like this...Ava starts getting a cold Saturday night. By the end of Monday night she is a snot machine, coughing, crying, and not sleeping. Wednesday morning I take her to the Doctor's and she has an ear infection. Antibiotic started. Thursday I am feeling icky and Ava has an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. New medicine started. Hives come and go all day for two days. Yippee it's FRIDAY!! No, never mind, now I'm sick too. UGH! How will I ever find the energy to get ready for Easter Dinner at our house. Friday night...heart palpitations from cold medicine start and I don't sleep a wink and wake Dejan up at 2am telling him I'm certain my heart is going to stop working. Lots of drama at our house, I know! Saturday is such a beautiful day we all forget about our problems and get ready for Easter Sunday. Ava and I cough all day, we color eggs, clean the yard, make some food, borrow tables and chairs from our ever trusty neighbors, and argue over using paper plates or real plates on Sunday. Dejan wins. We set the table for our first official Easter Dinner with real plates (mind you, I am sick, so all I was seeing was way TOO many plates to do). It all turns out beautiful and we head to bed at 11pm. Sleep comes easily.

Easter Sunday...

So far so good. Everyone is up and ready to go by 9am. Cognac glazed ham is in the oven and we head out to church. Church is like a zoo. I think all the kids were jacked up on candy, including Ava. Church over, we head home, the fun begins.

We had such a perfect day. All the food turned out great and thanks to everyone for bringing a delicious covered dish. We ate an hour late, had a fun Easter egg hunt, played badminton, emptied a lot of bottles, ate some delicious desserts, and the rain held off until the party was almost over. Our family made this day perfect. I only regret not getting a picture of all of us together.

As far as my title for this blog post. It is Wednesday and we are all finally rested, but the sewer backed up and flooded our basement, the snot and coughing continues but has almost run its course, the house is still not fully cleaned, Ava is running around saying 'cock" after I taught her the sound a rooster makes (it's even worse because I find myself privately smirking everytime she says it), we have a party to go to tomorrow night (thank you Chris and Sara for babysitting), and company spending the night. Recovery may catch up by the end of the month.

In closing, because I am a picture person, here are a few extra from Easter that make me smile.

You thought I was joking about the weather...

This was what we did Friday...

And this is what we did Sunday morning.

None the less, we had a GREAT time outdoors Friday and a nice visit to see all the Grandparents over the weekend. We made the most of the final snow (hopefully) and Ava was quit proud of her snow people.

My next adventure...tackling Easter Dinner at my house. Stayed tuned, this has got to be good!

Note to family--you are all invited!

March in Iowa

This is what you do in Iowa in March. You put on rain boots, snow bibs with no jacket (just a sweater is needed at this point), pull out sleds (that no one touched all winter because it was negative something until late February), and lay in the semi-sunny day and sunbath using said sled. I love how Iowa prepares you all winter to love 45 degree days, partial sun, really muddy yards, and ginormous puddles from all the rain that finally washed away all the snow! One more round of snow in the forcast and then, I think, it will be on to SPRING!! WOO HOO

Potty Training 101

Little people potty - check
"I'm learning to use the potty" potty time chart - check
Bribery with Stickers - check
Bribery with M&M's - check
"Once upon a potty" book - check
Peeing in the potty almost everytime - check
Poop - well, she's done that twice now and stinks up the entire house
Picture Ava will hate me for some day - check

35

Thirty five is okay, what's the big deal. I didn't have a mid life crisis over it and I certainly don't mind getting a little older...now if only we could stop it at this point. My birthday was perfect for me. Dejan really surprised me with his "romantic" side (I put that in quotes so you don't get your hopes up for some sappy story). He simply came home from work early, had multiple conversations with me, opened a bottle of wine, made dinner, played with Ava (even gave her a bath without me around), and surprised me with an amazingly cool ring. I later applied my miracle wrinkle cream, put on my jammie's, and watched LOST. I happen to love celebrating birthday's and think everyone should be treated special on their day. That day was special to me and I wish I could push a repeat button. Some may think this sounds boring and lame, but to me it was perfect. When 40 roles around, I'll invite you all to my ginormous party!

Ava was full of hugs on my birthday and I was finally able to capture one special moment with my family. It makes me smile every time I see it. Those hugs are free hugs...you know, the ones you don't tell her to give you.

Should we be worried or not?

I found my daughter in this postion after turning my back for a few moments to clean up the kitchen. Now, I did put the Ipod down for her to entertain herself, but come on Ava! The phone too!?!?!

Totally Bragging

I am so proud of Ava. She may be the youngest in her gymnastics class, but at yesterday's class she got the gold star! She was the only one following directions and trying all the "moves". She was so cute jumping around, making loud noises in excitment, somersaults, splits, crab walk (sorta), back rolls, balance beam AND balance beam on her tiptoes; her favorite part of class, picking out her own sticker. She's been doing good the entire class, but yesterday was her best! Don't worry I'm not a "stage" mom, just a proud mommy.

I just love this video we took of her at home one night...and this was before class started.