The Stage Debut of Ava E. Jones

One thing I love about Ava's school is every year they host "The Week of the Young Child". During this week every spring, they have special activities for the kids each day; character visits, parent picnics, special activities and games, and a performance day. On the performance day, each class (Pre-K3, Pre-K4 and Kindergarten) present a show for the audience of parents, students and teachers.

This year, Ava's 3 year old class presented "The Rainbow Fish". Our girl had the star making role of The Purple Starfish.

Agents have been calling non-stop.

Future World Series Contenders

Our daughter is old enough for extracurricular activities. So scary. First it was dance, and now we are signed up for t-ball! Ava is a member of the world renowned 3-4 year old YMCA Micro Division Diamondbacks. The league is pretty cutthroat; everyone bats, everyone advances, a game is two innings and no one keeps score. My kind of baseball.

Julia and Ava celebrating after their first win, er, exhibition match.

Showing off.

Ava "Mark McGuire" Jones

The Dream Team.

Concentration.

Action shot.

Discussing strategy with Coach Daddy.

Reading with Nana and Gramps...

...1000 miles away! We have recently become aquainted with the magic that is Skype. This online video chat system allows us to chat with our parents and siblings hundreds of miles away. While talking to Nana and Gramps on the computer, Ava decided to read from her favorite book...

We have an Idea Emergency!

Ryan and I took Ava to see the Movers in their home city of New Orleans, during their national tour. For those out of the loop (silly you), the Imagination Movers are a group of 4 musicians from New Orleans who have a show on the Disney Channel for preschoolers. Each episode involves the Movers solving an Idea Emergency in their homebase, the Idea Warehouse. Then they teach lessons through kid-friendly rock songs. The live show was a concert; it was hilarious to see a full house of 2 to 6 year olds rockin' out! We all had a ball!

APOLOGY: My husband recorded this video sideways, and I don't know how to rotate it! Boo!

World Exclusive: Bumblebee Preview

At dance class this week, parents got to watch the girls practice their recital tap number. This was super exciting, because we never get to see them dance; we always wait out in the lobby during the hour long rehearsal each week. We also received Ava's costume, and tried it on over her leotard. It is much cuter without the pink leotard and tights underneath, but you get the general idea.

Behold the awesomeness...

Sunny Farms

Ava's friend Elizabeth had a birthday party at Sunny Farms in Baton Rouge. The weather was beautiful and Ava did not hesitate to get down and dirty. The kids got to pet and feed animals, enjoy a hay ride, walk a treasure trail in the woods and eat cake! She had a blast at the party!

Feeding a goat.

Petting Cuddles, the giant rabbit.

On the hay ride with Elizabeth, the birthday girl.

Surveying the scene on the hayride.

My attempt at an artistic shot.

Awesome slide in the woods!

After the walk in the woods, we rode the hayride back to the party barn.

Our daughter is often the last one left eating. She doesn't like to leave cake and ice cream on her plate.

Playtime at the Park

My husband is so amazing. He loves our daughter so much and loves spending time with her, especially because he is often gone during the week. He took Ava to the park to play, and they spent time with Ava's friend Lillian and her dad, Jason. Jason and Ryan work together and they only live about a mile away from us, so we love spending time with them!

Lilli and Ava tire swinging.

Daddies and Daughters.

Honk? What?!?

We realize that our daughter can be odd sometimes (she is OUR daughter, after all). But even I can't explain this...

Sassy

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

We celebrated a couple of Christmases this year; one at our house in Baton Rouge on Christmas Eve morning, then we drove up to Bastrop to see my family and had another celebration on Christmas morning. My mom's birthday is December 24, so we wanted to be with her on her big day this year. On the way to Nana's house, I asked Ava whose birthday we were celebrating. She replied, "Jesus!" Too true, my child, too true.

Our home!

Some Christmas goodness.

The sleepy walk from her room to see what Santa brought.

Santa ate his milk and cookies (on the shelf to the right), but Ava was upset that he left a few bites.

At Nana's house on Christmas morning with her new Tinkerbell dress up outfit. She seems less than thrilled to pose!

After TWO Christmases and a big lunch, Ava needed a nap in Nana's sunroom.

Time to go back home.

Go Tell It On The Mountain

Ava's school, Early Learning Center, has a short early morning Christmas Sing-A-Long in the church sanctuary for parents. Only the 3s, 4s, and kindergarteners participate in this tradition, and the toddlers, babies, and parents watch. Since Ava's class was the youngest to sing, none of us were sure what to expect. I'm not sure if they just all had stage fright, or if no one had ever heard this song before! Below are a couple of photos and a brief video of the magic. :)

Goodbye, Disney. We'll miss you dearly.

We did NOT want our week in Orlando and at Disney to end. All of us remarked how amazing it was that we got along so well all week, considering 9 of us lived together and did almost everything together for 7 straight days! The trip was amazing. What a fabulous celebration of my beautiful mother-in-law's 60th birthday and my awesome in-laws' 40th wedding anniversary!

At the Playhouse Disney show. We saw Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, Tigger and Pooh AND the Little Einsteins!

Me and my prince at Cinderella's castle! :) Yeah, I said it.

3-D cousins!

"Is it REALLY you?"

Meeting Belle.

Ava told Belle that her favorite princess story is the Little

Mermaid. Belle said she reads it to the Beast every night!

Princess Aurora! Briar Rose! Sleeping Beauty!

Ava was SO excited to see Tinkerbell. She loves her movies. Ava hugged Tink for a good, long while. Tink said it was the best hug she'd had in ages. :)

Tinker Fairies chatting.

Happy girl.

Disney World!

The Jones 9 on our first morning at Epcot with Donald Duck!

At the wishing well with Snow White.

THE CASTLE!!!

CinderAva patiently waiting for her fireworks show.

Morgan, Ellie and Ava with Daisy Duck at the Animal Kingdom.

Ava loved the petting zoo at Rafiki's Animal Planet!

Dinner at Chef Mickey's restaurant in the Contemporary Resort at Disney.

Two Goofys.

Chef Pluto!

The Master himself, Chef Mickey.