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...

NOLA, baby!

We love to be scared of men painted silver until we realize they give out suckers.

We love to visit Jackson Square with dear friends.

We love to take carriage rides through the French Quarter.

We love beignets and cafe au lait.

We love the ambiance of Cafe du Monde (but do not love the service or bathrooms).

We love to make wishes at the aquarium.

We love NOLA. Thanks for visiting with us, Rachel and Enid!

We love chocolate.

In my attempt to be the Best Mom Ever, I decided to make treat bags for Ava's class on Valentine's Day. Last year, when I just bought cheap fold-over cards (with heart stickers to close), and signed them all "Love, Ava", I (incorrectly) assumed that was sufficient. Imagine my surprise when she came home that day from her TWO YEAR OLD CLASS with treat bags, cards, candy, stickers, etc. So I/we looked like cheap losers. This year, I vowed to be different. We bought all of the goods pictured below and made the cutest frickin' bags in the history of the world. And OF COURSE, no one else did much of anything. So my overkill was for nothing. Boo. But Ava and Ryan enjoyed eating the leftovers...


After church on Sunday (Valentine's Day), the Jones Family went to lunch for Ryan's birthday! The Big 3-3. Ava was super happy about Dad's cake, er... birthday. :)

Geaux Saints! Super Bowl Champions!

We watched the Super Bowl at our friends Matt and Beth's house. It was just a small group of people, but we had a blast celebrating the eventual Super Bowl victory and our friend Rusty's birthday! Considering the Saints have had a franchise for 43 years and had never won a Super Bowl, the whole house, town, state, etc CELEBRATED for days!

Ava, Rusty, Natalie and Sebastian on the porch swing.

Oh, yeah!

Rusty, Natalie, Matt, Beth and Ellie

Me and Ryan watching the SAINTS!

Who Dat?!?

Matt and Rusty were BEYOND ecstatic.

Woohoo!!! Super Bowl 44 CHAMPIONS!

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

Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny

One of the perks of my job is that I work in an arts facility that has a theatre complex. Ryan and I have not taken proper advantage of this luxury, which is ridiculous, because I actually have a husband who enjoys theatre! We are trying to start doing more things with Ava on the weekends, so when there is a children's show at Manship Theatre, we try to attend. We recently saw a great show called "Darwin the Dinosuar" which was really cool. This weekend, we saw "Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny", which was fabulous!

These are two of Ava's favorite bedtimes stories. The show began with The Runaway Bunny, and as a narrator read the book, the story was acted out on stage with puppets, props, backdrops, etc. The "illustrations" were EXACTLY like the book, and it was so neat. I really felt like a kid; I kept getting so excited at my favorite parts! The second half of the show was of Goodnight Moon, and the set was lit with a black light, so the items in the room glowed while the actors moved around in black, making the parts of the story come to life. It was amazing.

After the show, the actors answered questions on stage. This was the only time during which we could take photos, so I don't have any of the Runaway Bunny set. But we had a great time and it was a super day!

The little old lady who whispers, "Hush".

In the show, the cow jumping over the moon leaves the framed portrait and jumps over a big moon.

Goodnight Moon set.

It was all exactly like the book! SO cool!

Ava in the great green room. Mommy has friends in high places. Or, more specifically, Mommy has friends backstage that let us go on stage after the show.

"And a picture of... the cow jumping over the moon. "

"And there were three little bears sitting on chairs..."

Twins

This is what happens when my cute, petite coworker and I wear almost the exact same thing to work one day. In this case, I am Arnold Schwarzenegger and Katie is Danny Devito. Awesome.

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.