From the Mouths of (Our) Babes

A series from the weekend Sophia, Avery and Audrey playing on our bed. In the last shot, Sophia's actually in there, just under the covers. She just hopped right in bed when she arrived, and Avery alongside (far on the other end). Unfortunately, the camera didn't travel up fast enough to capture that classic pic.

It's trash day on Addison! Avery's really excited. He watches out the window every trash morning, like there is a show happening outside. He yells and points and serves as our trash commentator. Yay!

We had some people over for brunch and the kids were into playing out back. Then, Owen, whose mom, Becky is a fabulous photographer, found the camera. Crazy great shots!

Avery used the scrubber on the patio in his pjs this AM. I forgot to post that on Wednesday, at Nan and Popi's, Avery told Nan, "Sashee gives me candy. ... Avery eats candy." He was trying to convince her to give him some candy. We thought it was funny.

Avery does not limit himself to my shoes. His diverse taste makes him open to everything from high heels to daddy's work shoes.

I was so optimistic this morning when Avery insisted on "binking chocolate milk from cup." He was thrilled when I handed him the short glass, half filled with chocolate milk. In his enthusiasm, things got a little messy. It went downhill from there. Looking down at this puddle, Avery requested, "More chocolate milk, peas!" Luckily, we had a little hidden away in the fridge. This time, however, he sat in his eat seat and drank from a straw.

Avery joined to vote today, and was thrilled to press the large green button that said VOTE. Afterwards, he helped daddy polish off his danish. Embarassing moment of the day: We were walking behind a young couple this afternoon. The woman was wearing some very LOW rise jeans...very, very low rise. Avery said (loudly), "See lady's belly!" He turned to me and said, "See it?" I whispered, "Yes, sweetie, I see it." She then turned around, and....you know where this is going. ... He said, "See lady's tussy! Lady's tussy!" LOUDLY.

We found some shoes for Avery at a Thrift Shop (Circle Thrift) this weekend that just about match Walker's. They were too cute to pass up, even though Avery complained a bit yesterday when I was hoping he'd try them on. Luckily, they fit. He's size 6 1/2 to 7. You know, in case there are any cute shoes out there in his size that we don't know about. A first today! They used to happen all the time, but now, not as much. Avery decided he wanted to see his neighbor friend Charlie this afternoon, so we walked across the street and he knocked on Charlie's door. He said, "Charlie come out!" loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear. When no one answered, Avery knocked again and said it even louder. I had to explain that if no one answers, that means that either they are busy or not home, and we shouldn't knock again. He considered it and agreed, and we were off to buy some mangoes. Later, when he did see Charlie, Charlie was wearing a little st...

We spent the day out in the city, and Avery enjoyed his first water balloon experience on Addison. We had breakfast at Sabrina's, where Avery ordered himself (a plain bagel with cream cheese). Then, the playground, where Avery corrected someone for calling him a "little boy", to which he responded, "BIG boy." After that, a drive to Germantown for some furniture shopping at the really big furniture store. That is, the store that has really big furniture. After naptime, we visited the dog park, where Avery again did the whole, "Tiny guy walking by! Tiny guy with tiny doggies! Tiny! Guy is tiny!" A and W watched the trash train go by, and then lounged a bit. Now it's pickletime in the patio!

We've begun negotiating, and so has Avery. A few days ago, Avery met a new friend, Finn, age 4, at the park. Finn negotiated with his mom to play for five more minutes with Avery. When five minutes were up, Avery asked Finn's mom for "More minutes, please." Frequently, when offered a sweet treat, "only one!", Avery will ask, "how about two?" Two is really the biggest number he knows. One, two or many. This morning, we did some negotiation getting dressed. I wanted Avery to put on a new beachy sweater. He resisted, until I told him that people who drive jeeps like to wear sweaters like this. He is now wearing the sweater and we're both happy. I am not sure that this is the best tactic, nor am I sure what I am teaching him here, but he needed to wear a sweater this morning when it was chilly, and, well, it worked!

Avery was in the bathtub last night, where we have occasionally been practicing some swim kicks to get ready for the pool this summer. He was kicking and blowing bubbles. He stopped and turned to me and said, "Avery's swimmin' like a dolphin." I don't know where he learned that because, unlike climbing like a monkey, which he can do in public, I don't think he's in water with anyone but us. He also was crawling around and around the room today at nan and popi's and said, "Avery's crawling like a little baby." He gets the whole 'like a...' concept, perhaps. Before work today, he also helped me do some computering, as you can see. He was insistent that he was the one who put the plug in the hole. And he knew which plug, and which outlet it belonged in. Too much computerin' on our end, I suppose.

Avery made me get up out of my seat this morning so that he could get a little more comfortable, while chomping on his breakfast strawberries & Tiger's Milk bar. While getting in the chair, he exclaimed, "Avery climbin' like a little monkey!" When he arrived in the seat, he reclined, put his feet up, and starting humming.

Do these shoes go with his new Beatle tee?

Avery has a love for all things on wheels. We have been looking for bikes for Walker, so have visited shops around town. One of the bike shops sits on a trolley route. Avery goes nutty when he knows we might visit that shop and requests more, "Muy trolleys! See trolleys! Trolleys zooming by!" It's very exciting. Today, when we left the bike store, it started to rain. More excitement, when Avery was allowed to hold the umbrella. Later in the day, while Walker was at another cycle store, we saw a bee flying inside a storefront window. He kept saying, "Thank you! Thank you, bumblebee." I am not sure why he was thanking the bee, but I started thinking. I feel like he was thanking the bumblebee just for being in that window, at that time, so that he could be entertained and happy. He'd probably thank the trolley and the umbrella, too, if they were alive.

Avery got ready to go to Sashee's yesterday by stuffing a huge amount of his books into his stroller. He wanted to, "Show Sashee some books." He tried to even strap them in to the seat. Unfortunately, this made it hard for him to get into the stroller himself, so we had to leave a few books at home.

Avery was hysterical for a few minutes last evening. Seems with all the excitement on the coming of Spring (kids outside! play with kids!), Avery forgot to eat. He found himself starving, calmed only by chocolate yogurt. Clearly, his starvation caused him to forgo spoon use.

And Avery and Walker were hangin' in it tonight, eatin' strawberries and wearing some cute shoes.

Tonight, I heard some noises in our snack closet. All of Avery's munchies are on low shelves---pine nuts and freeze dried apricots, crunchy carrot bits and pepitas. After some shuffling, Avery emerged from behind the door to the pantry. He then staggered toward me, carefully balancing a great tower of snack foods.

Avery loves to compliment. He just loves telling people he likes their shirt, or shoes. He now follows up with, "Where bought them?" or, "Where got them?" Usually, it's typical social cues he must be learning from. He compliments people's clothing or possessions. Today, his compliments were a little different. Here was the exchange five minutes ago: A: Nice face daddy! Nice head! W: Well, thanks, sweetie. I think you have a nice face, too. A: Nice chin, daddy. Nice hair. W: Thanks, sweetie.

Ok, these were taken a while ago, but they are so silly and happy I had to post today. Halloween with Sophia and Avery. Sophia and Avery have a play date tomorrow.