Brownwood Rodeo

As you all know Ava will one day be a Rodeo Queen so she can ride around the arena looking pretty and waving at everyone. She is destined to at least love horses because she wasn't at all afraid to sit up on these 8 foot Clydesdale's. (They were probably more around 7 feet for those who are counting)
To celebrate the rodeo in Brownwood there is a big city parade with all the Queens, clowns, cheerleaders, high school band, and this guy. Of course next year he will have some stiff competition since we have already started planning the family float!

Country Girl

This week Ava mowed Mimi's lawn. (She loves to mow!) And then took Mimi for a spin in Papa Keith's big truck. She is definitely going to be a country girl.

Ava's Daily

I just wanted to document a day in the life of Ava. She doesn't realize it now but later she will be able to see she had it pretty good as a baby. Well I imagine as long as there are grandma's and Mimi's in her life she will continue to have it fantastic for as long as she will remember.

So in the mornings we get up and going with some Cheerios. Of course when I say we I mean Ava and Mekah since she's figured out throwing them on the floor makes dog come over. After breakfast there is play time where Sprout crawls all over the house getting into things she is not supposed to. She has definitely figured out what the word "no" means and is starting to find out how she can get around it. I think she has also realized not everything she finds on the floor is good to eat. After snacking on a few rocks and clumps of dirt she is now just handing them to me. Pretty helpful if you think about it.

After play time it is of course nap time when we change the channel to CMT Pure Music and lay on the couch together. She slowly drifts off and will usually manage about a 2 hour nap as long as I lay next to her and cuddle. After nap then it is time to eat again. Usually a hot dog for lunch but if we're lucky we sometimes get leftovers from the night before. As you can see in her video hot dogs are pretty fantastic. After lunch there is more play. Then after more play there is "Daddy's Home!" She usually insists dad hold her for at least 30 minutes before he can do anything else. Then after they bond the chase is on. It's all about chasing Daddy and Dog wherever they go. It's not too long after that we start the getting ready for bed rituals.

Bath time has become so fun its turned to the phase where it's never time to get out. She crawls back and forth, sticks her face in the water, throws toys over board, splashes and just has a good time. Then after bath it's off to the rocking chair to be smoothed to sleep. It usually doesn't take long for those heavy lids to close and drool to start pouring out. So you see she has it pretty good, not a care in the world. As it should be for Grandma's only granddaughter and Mimi's only grandchild.

Panhandle with a BANG!

Ava and I drove up to Panhandle to visit Murr and Dandy for the holiday this past weekend. We visited friends and saw family, got a drug store coke, ate some La Fiesta and managed to sneak in Taco Villa a few times. Ava loved getting to crawl to some new places and hang out with other kiddos. Jayden was very helpful trying to teach Baby A to put on her shoes and catch a ball. Neither of them got it down yet, but by next year they will be thick as thieves! We managed to make it by the Panhandle City pool for a dip and Sprout just watched Rylee and Aiden swim all over the pool. You can tell she's ready to be out there adventuring with them.

To celebrate the 4th all the kids dressed up in proper red, white and blue to go watch the traditional parade on Main Street. Dandy rode in the veterans float, Pokey the Rodeo Clown drove his funny car, and Rylee drove her Escalade we decorated for her. Ava and I even got our toes into the patriotic spirit! I would have to say the best part of the parade was of course the horses! Sprout couldn't get enough of them! We definitely have an animal lover on our hands. After the parade and festivities at the court house it was time for a long nap before the fireworks started.

We went over to Jennifer's house for BBQ and music both of which were excellent! Ava tried some grilled bologna for the 1st time and didn't think it was all that bad. After her big feast she was lulled to sleep by the band, but quickly woke up when it was time for the show! She ohhhhed and awwwwed at the sparkles in the sky and loved to point at them to make sure we were all looking. Ava's first 4th of July celebration I have to say was a success. She saw horses, watched fireworks, ate new interesting things, played with new friends, and got to be held by both her great grand-parents. Of course after all that excitement mommy's little firecracker was all tuckered out.

She's a Rodeo Girl

We took Ava to the Coleman Rodeo last night to see the goat scramble and bronc riding. She absolutely loved it! She was dancing and waving at all the cowboys riding through the rink but her favorite part was when the cowgirls came riding through. They wore bright pink sparkle tops, held flags and rode really fast. What a time. I told her the story of her friend April who was once a rodeo queen so now I think she is destined to follow. We all know she already has the wave down packed. I mean really who wouldn't love a face like this!

Locomotion

As you all can witness in the videos above Ava is a crawling machine! Well not quite but she will be soon enough! (Yesterday she crawled around so much she ended up with a little carpet burn on her knees.) Of course, she is already into everything she can reach so were in the process of moving everything up. The taller she gets the farther up everything goes. All the sockets have been Ava proofed now we just need Chris to install the cabinet door latches. Since they involve screws and a drill it is man's work so I'm told.

As most of you know Ava and I went on a trip to Dallas to visit family and friends and while we were there she learned how to clap! We had been working on it at home for awhile, but I guess she needed an audience. Grandma and Daniel were very excited to witness the event and I didn't waste the chance to get it on video. She was also giving great hugs to her cousins and Aunt Heather. They were eating it up every time she gave them a big squeeze. Her hugs are probably the best hugs you can get.

While in Dallas Ava had lots of adventures and at almost everyone she gained a new toy. Grandma insisted she have everything she wanted and boy she got it. Now that were back home though the toys don't seem nearly as fun. Instead she wants to play with the junk mail, the plastic her toys came in or kitchen utensils.


So since her big Dallas trip she has been a bit of a pill getting back into routine and learning she isn't going to be held 100% of the day. She has also demanded a trip to Panhandle to see Murr and Dandy and show them all her new skills. We have set the date for the holiday weekend of the 4th so she can see her first parade. If she was only 2 months older she could enter in the Little Miss pageant, but maybe next year. I'm sure the cheese on a stick and cloggers dance will be enough excitement for one year anyway. She will get to see her friends Rylee and Jayden for the first time and I know she can't wait! She loves children so I'm sure they will keep her occupied. It's going to be a fun weekend!

Summer in full bloom

Ava couldn't wait to go swimming and since the weather predicted in the 100s everyone thought sitting in some cool water would feel good. She loves being outside and taking baths so having her 2 favorite things in one sitting was way fun! By the time Chris drug her out she was more wrinkled than a raisin, but man she slept hard that night. She also gave Becky some time to sleep in...Sprout slept in her bed all night till 8:45! What a deal!