Christmas Photos

Ava and the "toilet"

It has been forever since a post but work blocked blogger and there's not much time for the computer at home, my kids deserve their mommy while I'm here. But this story is just too funny not to tell..

Audrey is fascinated with toilets. We've caught her playing in it with her hands (gross) and stirring the water in the hotel with her toothbrush (double gross!). This was the last time we saw that toothbrush! Ava never did anything like this, she never got into anything that she wasn't suppose to... but as they say every child is different. Audrey is our "I can get into anything" child.

A couple of nights ago Ava discovered a golf ball in the potty. She goes by herself (that was such a huge relief) and I couldn't understand why she came running into the kitchen hysterical about the potty. She was so upset I couldn't understand much of what she was saying but her pants were still pulled down and she was doing the pee pee dance. I went to the bathroom and discovered the golf ball. I got an empty toilet paper roll and picked it up. I three the roll and golf ball away, HUGE mistake.

For the last three days at least twice a day Ava has broken down into a full fledged meltdown over Audrey throwing things in the toilet (she says it like she's from England, so cute). I think it's a Hawkins thing, but I have never, ever seen her have a complete breakdown over something, much less a golf ball (that we have tons of). She is terrified that Audrey will continue to put toys in the toilet.

She told Natalie the story and has broken down spontaneously during the day about Audrey throwing the ball in the toilet. It happened one time, and she still hasn't let it go! I was making them drinks a couple night ago and she wanted the lids, she left them in the bathroom, guess what another breakdown over the possibility that Audrey could have thrown them in the toilet. If you see her and ask her about it, you better be prepared to do damage control, because you've been for warned!

Of all the things in her short three year life thus far, to have such a problem with the golf ball in the toilet is still amazing to me.

Audrey's Development

Her development is crazy!!

Words: Ava, Dog, Cow, Puppy, Mama, Dada, Pa, No and ughhhhhh :)

Today I was using the restroom and we had company over. Audrey pushed the door open and I said, "Audrey you opened the door on Mommy." She closed the door for me without anything else being said.

Her new game is shaking her head no when she knows she's about to do something she's not suppose to. She'll wait till you look at her get a big smile on her face and shake her head. She expects you to do the same as well.

She has officially jumped on her first bed with her sister and cousin... oh my I have a feeling she's our little dare devil. She can do everything sister can (so she thinks!)

Three Year Old Conversations

Ava: Mommy, where do Winston and Bauer live (The Hager's Dogs)
Mommy: They live in Austin
Ava: Mommy, where is Austin
Mommy: South of here, also called down
Ava: And we live up?
Mommy: Yes that is called North... When you're looking north, right is east and left is west and behind you is south. (she knows her left and right, and likes to give you directions... Turn right daddy, turn right, right, right, right,.... ok good job daddy)
Ava: (silence for a moment) Which direction is straight?
Mommy and Daddy are dumbfounded and I can't even remember what I said in the moment

Ava: Wow, it's like, um, cloudy out here?
Daddy: It's called fog Ava
Ava: I don't like fog daddy, what is it
Daddy: It's when the clouds come down from the sky
Ava: Mommy look outside, that's called fog and it's when the cloud comes down from the sky.
She also told her Sunday School teachers this morning. They asked what we were doing because she talks in full sentences and paragraphs and has conversations with you. I've been trying to tell them for a LONG time how advanced she was.... Are they finally seeing it?

(those of you that know we struggled with them not letting us move her "up" to the two year old class when she was 34 months. They go by school dates for promotion. She was in the walking class for two years.)

To my amazing Husband and daughter:

My great uncle died and Audrey and I rode with my parents to East Texas for the weekend. I haven't really ever left my kids. They've gone and visited others but this is the second time that I've left Ava and it was hard. Everyone was talking about Audrey and how cute she was and I kept saying, I have a three year old too!

When we got home Sunday night everyone was a sleep but me, I kind of thought Matt and Ava would wake up and talk to me but they were sound a sleep cuddling together. I couldn't mess that up, even though I think I deserve to be in the middle!

I decided to watch TV, the pre-recorded shows, but they were cancelled for football. At first I was mad, but then realized I really don't need to be watching these shows.... Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters aren't the best thing for me to be giving ratings to, but I love them. I blame it on Audrey this time, bed rest with her created a TV watching machine out of me several weeks and I got addicted to these shows (and the Real Housewives of Atlanta, but it's already over). I decided to go to sleep, which is what I should've done to begin with!

Monday morning Ava jumped up on the bed with a gift... "wake-up mommy, wake-up I have a surprise for you". I rolled over not quite ready to get up, but decided I needed to check this out. It was a bag from Baily Banks and Biddle. A little confused I woke myself up even more and began opening it. Matt tells me it's an early birthday present and Ava is giggling with delight, anxiously anticipating me opening the gift. It was hard to get into so it took a while, but I finally get it open and it's a diamond necklace, earring set. I was shocked! My birthday is weeks away! Matt explains he didn't think Ava could keep a secret so he would rather surprise me then me find out. (they went shopping for me while I was in East Texas).

I've never seen a child so excited to give others gifts. We did a shoe box Christmas thing for church and so was very excited to buy toys for someone else. She has such a giving and caring heart! I love her so much, she grew up so much this weekend. I guess she's been doing it all along you just don't notice as much when you see her everyday. I had conversations with her on the phone and I would've thought I was talking to a ten year old. I don't like leaving her and hope it's a very long time before I do it again!

Then, I don't know how it came up but I figured out that he got it on sale and saved a lot of money... now my questioning mind is thinking... you had to spend this much money (at least) to save this amount. Sigh, wish he wouldn't have spent so much, so I try to be grateful and not get upset, but honestly there are a lot of other things I could see to spending the money on...

Now that I am writing this I feel bad that I wasn't just grateful and didn't care about the money. I truly have an amazing husband. God has blessed me in so many ways, but one that I would like to point out today, it my incredible husband whom I love very much!

He taught Sunday School this week for the first time and I missed it! Wish I could've been there for support. I even pre read all the material and was going to help him prepare, but the funeral was something I needed to do.

I'm getting so bad at this!

I don't have pictures to post, the iphone has made me really lazy for carrying around the camera :( I need to get better, I've asked for a new camera for Christmas (just what Matt wants).

The purpose of my blog today is to ask all of you to begin praying for our family. A big transition is ahead for us in about six months. Our Nanny has informed us she's 90% sure she's leaving. I don't blame her, she's getting married and they're moving off together. (we think, depends where he goes to school)

There's a part of me that would like to stay at home, but then there's even larger part of me that wants to work. I love my job and love my co-workers. I feel I've established wonderful relationships, started a club and just enjoy being an engineer. Heck, the women I work with have even taught me to sew, something I've always wanted to do! Can you believe a bunch of us engineering types, get together and sew... wouldn't ever imagined it, but there are several other women I work with who are a lot like me.

Matt and I have always planned our finances and such that staying at home wouldn't be a financial burden, so unless he loses his job, we'd be just fine. In my perfect world, I think I'd work part time or variable schedule. That way I have time for my Mommy duties and time to use my brain :). That sounds awful, but there really is a big difference in the amount of intellectual things to do at home and those at work. I feel at home I would have to use a lot more of my creative side, which isn't my best side :)

I've asked Matt over and over what he prefers and he doesn't have an answer, it's almost like I want to be told what to do. I have six months to decide what the next chapter in our lives will look like. Please be in prayer with us, that we follow what God wants for our family. I don't want to be selfish and go to work if it only benefits me! And, if I'm suppose to go to work, then an amazing woman will come into our lives to take care of our children. Lastly, for the girls, losing Natalie is going to be really tough on them, especially Ava! Audrey I think is still too young but Ava loves her very much! (and we do to, she is wonderful with the girls!)

Good Times with Good Friends!

This was suppose to be a backyard BBQ, however it rained and rained and rained! The kids played inside until they couldn't stand it anymore and Ava and the boys played in the rain (and mud).