Ava & Mila

I’m not sure who Marty Allen is but he scared the crap out of Ava during our trip to Las Vegas. Hehe.

This picture cracks me up. Check out Ava’s hand on her hip… not to mention the sylish glasses. I was going to write how I don’t know who she learned this new trick from… but then I read this blog post.

P.S. The crayon on the wall was already there when we checked into the hotel room.

Hello. Our little lollipop is now 127 weeks old!

Last Friday was our final day of vacation. We checked out of our hotel room but stuck around the pool for a bit longer. Each and every day, Ava needed to build up the courage to get into this Las Vegas pool.

It’s a little too cold for comfort when you first get into it.

But after a few minutes, she walked down the steps and started swimming.

When pool time was over, Ava decided that it was no fun to wear a wet swimsuit so she insisted on stripping down to a clean pair of pull-ups… followed up by a box of juice.

On the car ride home, Ava slept for over 3 hour straight. Damn. Rough day at the pool, I guess. So Dan and I decided to keep driving and we pretty much made it to L.A. before our little lollipop woke up.

The next stop on the itinerary was Nona and Dida’s house. Ava immediately started to feed her dolls there…

… and run around the house like a wild child that just slept 3 hours and had energy to burn. But all those Vegas buffets must had made her grow an inch or two… because before we knew it, she bumped her head on the kitchen counter corner. It was sore for days.

On Saturday, we went to visit Nathan and play with his toys. After lots of running around and screaming at the top of their lungs…

… they wanted me to read them a story. Thanks guys!

We also went to the local ballet store to get Ava an outfit for her upcoming ballet classes. Check out Ava during her very first shoe fitting.

And here she is in her first dressing room… checking herself out. She kept saying ‘It’s not too small.’ No Ava, it’s just right!

We also drove down to Nicole’s to celebrate her birthday and her brother’s high school graduation.

She had a great time playing on the swings with Grace…

… and running away from the scary Dada Monster.

On Sunday, we were finally home. Just in time for Father’s Day. If you have ever been around Ava in the mornings, you know that she doesn’t like to let her Dada sleep in for too long. Dada, wake up! I wonder who she gets that from?

She said ‘Happy Father’s Day‘ and wanted him to open his present right away.

Dan already has a fake jersey from Target but now he has a fake one from the NBA store. Go Lakers! Maybe one day we’ll splurge on a real jersey for 200 bucks. Yeah right!

During Father’s Day breakfast, Ava did something for the first time. She spoke up to the waitress. A complete stranger! Imagine that! I told the waitress that Ava wanted a Mickey Mouse pancake for breakfast… and she immediately spoke up to correct me and said ‘No Mama. Minnie Mouse‘. Hehe.

As a special surprise, the waitress brought a brownie with the check, that was meant for Dada. Ava immediately said that this brownie was for Mama and Ava. And when she got to eat it at the Sprint store while Dada shopped, she took one bite and decided that this brownie was just for her… and so she kept her distance from both of us in order to do just that.

I was a little worried that her transition back to school would have some bumps in the road after a long vacation, but no. She was right back into her normal routine. And with a special gift for Dada, too.

A very serious picture of herself in a puzzle frame with the caption “Dad, I love you to pieces”.

Potty training is still going well. She wears pull-ups to school and underwear at home. When it was time for number two this week, Ava kept asking for a diaper. After lots of insisting that she was a big girl, she got the job done and got to enjoy a special bubble gift.

And this week, Ava officially became a ballerina. She was really concerned that her new pink slippers would get dirty on the grass so we had to take a really quick picture so Dada can continue carrying her to the car.

We were the first to get to the classroom. Ava enjoyed seeing herself spin in the mirror.

Her friend Grace was also in the class with her. Can you tell Ava was more than a little excited?

But when the class started, she was one of the shyest around. The teacher asked all the kids their names. When it was her turn, she whispered ‘Ava Lin‘. Hehe. I guess it’s from being one of two Ava’s in her school her whole life.

I didn’t realize that this was a Mommy and Me class, so I had to sit next to her and do everything the teacher asked us to do. And let me tell you, touching my toes and jumping over ‘rivers full of alligators’ was not an easy task. Ava was really shy during the first half of the class. She didn’t really want to participate. I had to help her out with lots of the activities.

But then it was time to stand up and practice our ballerina stances.

With a little help from these felt hearts.

And then she got into it. Especially when it was time to fly around the room like butterflies.

Check her out on her tippy toes. Too cute.

Good job ladies!

Last night, Dan rushed us out of the house to pick up his new fancy phone. We rushed out of there so fast, I forgot that Ava still had on her underwear and I had no spare clothes with me. Oh oh. I usually put on pull-ups when we are out of the house. Oh oh. But she did great. I made sure to take her to the restroom a lot to prevent any accidents. She actually asked for 2 out of the 3 trips we took. For a second, she squatted on the floor and started farting. I almost died. I immediately told her she needed to go to the restroom to do that. But she just looked at me calmly and said ‘No Mama. I’m just burping!‘. LOL. She cracks me up.

Okay. Time to go. We have cereal bracelets to wear.

And eat. Yum. Bye!!

Look who figured out how to show the world her age.

Yeah, Ava. That’s who!

Okay. Welcome back for Part 2 of 2 of Ava’s 29th Month post.

On Day 6 of our Vegas vacation, we woke up bright and early to hit up the local KOA campground at Circus Circus. They are part of new program that has Airstreams for rent. And we wanted to check them out. Good thing we brought Ava along. She spotted the Airstreams from a mile away.

Since we were there mid-week, the Airstreams did not look occupied. Unless some crazy person was locked in there with no air conditioning in the summer heat. I don’t think so. So we made ourselves at home.

Ava’s favorite part of the campground was the playground. She went down the slide a million times…

…and insisted that we do the same.

Next stop was the Wynn Casino. One my favorite places in town. It took us a long time to find a parking spot for our over-sized van. Dan kindly dropped us off at the casino while he kept looking for a spot. As soon as Ava walked into the Wynn, she was in love. This was her new favorite place in the whole wide world.  She loved the trees and the flowers and all the twinkling lights.

And once Dan joined us, she was able to get a little closer to the flowers she was admiring.

But the real reason we went to the Wynn was for their buffet. The best in town. Seriously. And they don’t have that cheap soft serve crap there. They have real ice cream. With a real person that scoops it. As many times as you want. Ava thought life couldn’t get any better…

…until I brought out my dessert plate. Hehe.

The buffet showcases some of my favorite art pieces. This is us in front of one of them…

… and this was us 2 years ago.  Where’s your hair, Ava?

The Nemo floaties were making Ava’s arms a little sore so we made a quick stop to Target for plan B. The Dora Floatie. It was a one-piece swim suit with built-in muscles. Hilarious.

The swimsuit was a little awkward at first. If she didn’t keep her arms in front of her, she would flip over onto her back… and stay that way until we flipped her over again. Like a turtle. But once she got the hang of it, she started to swim on her own again.

Next stop, dinner in her ice cream dress. She was more than excited to wear it as you can see.

And on our way out, she danced like Cinderella while Dada was her prince. Her words. Not mine.

As soon as we put her in her stroller, Ava announced that she was going to close her eyes. Nap time. We even made a special trip to the Flamingo for her to check out their penguins. As soon as we got there, we realized that the penguin exhibit was  gone… and was our little one.  Night night. And when we finally picked a restaurant in Paris, Ava woke up. Pissed. Skipping her normal nap time was a bad idea.

On Day 7 of our trip, we headed across the street to the buffet again. Ava’s appetite had been gone for the past day or two, so we let her pick anything she wanted. It was her choice. And this is what she picked. An apple, peaches, oranges and a slice of white bread. OMG.

And this is what I picked. Yum.

And Dan came back with this. WTF? I think he was officially buffeted out.

Don’t worry. Ava ended eating some breakfast food too. On top of making a ghost out of her slice of bread.

Next stop was the pool of course. The first thing Ava did was reach for Dada’s  sunscreen chemicals…

… but luckily only wanted to squirt it on Dada’s booboo and not herself.

Did you know that there were monsters at pool? Yup. Ava saw them and quickly hid in her towel tent. Making sure not to burn her behind on the hot concrete.

New summer dresses equal dancing time for Ava.

Check out these hula moves.

We made it out that night to what is supposed to be the best Thai place in the country, the Lotus of Siam.

While we were waiting for our food, Ava occupied herself with drawing on the place mats. After awhile, she wanted us to help her draw. First she wanted Ava the kitty cat. Next was Grace the doggy. Then Dada the parrot. And Mama the giraffe (nice!). And finally, Yoda the monkey. Silly girl.

Once the food arrived, it did not disappoint. The chicken satay was awesome… and the coconut soup was the best coconut soup in the whole wide world. Yummmm.

After dinner, Dan whisked us away to the Bass Pro Shop again. Much to Ava’s delight.

Because she got to make her first squished penny with a buffalo in on it.

Thanks for visiting our blog. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Bye!!!

Hello there!! Ava is now 29 months old and you’ve caught us enjoying ourselves on a much needed vacation. Or as Ava calls it ‘bacation‘.

The exact minute she turned 29 months old, Ava was in a middle of a nap on her way to Las Vegas. This isn’t her first time to Vegas. Remember this trip?

Even though she slept 2 hours in the car, we had to wake her up once we arrived at our destination… and it wasn’t a pretty site. My little sad goose.

But after some snuggle time, she was back to her old self. And good thing… because her partner in crime showed up.

And of course, they had to jump on the bed as soon as they saw each other.

After some unpacking and settling in, we hit up the casino across the street for dinner… or as Ava called the it, the ‘volcano‘… where she truly enjoyed her spaghetti with meatballs.

On Day 2 of our trip, the boys went out for paintball with the other dudes in town for Rodrigo’s Bachelor Party and us ladies got the kids ready for a day at the pool.

This was the first day Ava got to wear her Nemo floaties. She was super excited about them ever since we bought them a couple of months ago. ‘Mama, this is for bacation‘.

After pool time, it was nap time. Ava slept on her toddler blow-up mattress with her bed set from home… and with her prairie doggy too, of course. It was a little rough getting three kids to sleep at the same time… even though we had a one-bedroom suite… but we pulled it off somehow (on most days).

After nap time, it was time to hit up a real volcano casino. The girls liked holding hands as they walked the streets of New York New York.

We ended up at a lot of buffets in town. And I mean a lot. They usually cost less than the real restaurants and the kids always ate free… not to mention the free drinks. But there are so many buffets one can take. So we hit up a Mexican restaurant, Gonzalez Y Gonzalez, that was really good… and had a menu! Imagine that.

Ava enjoyed ice cream every day on vacation. Well, I can’t really blame that on vacation solely. She does get her fair share at home thanks to pregnancy hormones.

On day 3 of our bacation, the boys were free and got to join us at the pool.

Dada got to see Ava with her floaties.

And Ava reached a new milestone. She started swimming alone for the first time. Yeah. But you’ll have to wait for those pictures.

Since we had 10 days straight to spend with Ava, it was time to get serious about potty training… especially since the room was mostly tiled, Grace was there to show her the way and we had new underwear to bribe her with. And guess what? It worked. Sure there was an accident or two or five, but Ava is doing much better. She is staying dry for the most part and even telling us when she has to go. Big steps, people! She is not 100% there but much further along. Yeah!

On Day 4, the girls were still holding hands and we were still going the buffets in town.

I ended up putting a little of Dan’s sunscreen on Ava’s cheeks at the pool the day before and she woke up looking like this. She had an allergic reaction to it. Damn chemicals. This is the first time I put some on her… and the last. She needs to stick to her chemical-free sunscreen from now on, unless she wants to go for the ‘I got stung by a swarm of African Attack Bees’ look.

After some aloe vera and more pool time, her face started to clear up. Here is Ava refueling with a Capri Sun after a tough day swimming.

That night, we had a change of pace. We hit up the local Bass Pro Shop… much to Dan’s convincing delight.

It was actually a pretty entertaining place for the kids. Lots of stuffed animals…

… and a large fish tank that made the girls dance.

Next door, we ended up at Johnny Rockets for dinner where Ava was impressed by their happy face ketchup plates.

And the two of us shared a pink lemonade with not one, but two straws.

On Day 5, her buddy Grace left and we were on our own. Dada was craving hot wings from Hooters and we obliged. What can I tell you, the Hooter girls wear more clothes that those casino waitresses. Plus, I’m tired of explaining to Ava why they forgot to wear pants to work today.

This isn’t Ava’s first visit to this Hooters. Here she is in June 2009.

And here she is in May 2007. Just two years earlier. Oh how times have changed. (Dada, time for some new clothes).

After we filled our tummies, we went to the MGM Grand to check out the lions. At first, we went to the Rain Forest Cafe Gift Shop to admire their animatronic animals. Ava was a little scared of the huge snake in the tree so we moved to see the Cheetah. I told Ava to look at its eyes because they were blinking. She stared and stared… and then out of nowhere, the lights turned off, there was a loud thunder… and she freaked out. Really freaked out. She started shaking and screaming. I had to get her out of there fast. It was so sad. Poor kid. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her freak out like that. Oh boy. So, we needed a change a scenery and something to show her that large felines weren’t all scary. That’s when we ran into real lions.

We walked under the bridge to where they were hanging out.

Ava wasn’t too sure about these two lions at first.

And then started pointing and screaming ‘Look!‘.

‘Oh oh, Mama. Lion going peepee.’ After that she was much better. She thought it was funny that the lion had an accident and forgot to use the toilet like she does now. And then the lion licked her own pee and the trainer had to clean it up. After that, she kept talking about how the nice lion peed and the scary lion got dark.

And for a special treat that night, we filled up the tub and turned on the jets… and created a bubble cloud. Hehe. Join us tomorrow for Part 2 of our ‘Vegas Bacation’!

Today I was supposed to post “29 Months Old!!!”… but I didn’t. Not even close. Hopefully tomorrow. Close as I got was a picture of Ava opening her first Happy Meal at a McDonald’s in Barstow. So sad.

Insomnia has kicked in thanks to pregnancy nightmares. It sucks. Big time. I was so desperate for sleep that I crawled into Ava’s bed at 3am. Praying that I could sleep. Praying that her new big girl bed wouldn’t break. Praying that her Prairie Doggy was the Sandman. Ava then gave me a hug. Opened her eyes. And said ‘Mama, what are you doing?’. I took it as hint and left.

So hopefully tonight I will sleep and you will get a proper post tomorrow.

By the way, she didn’t touch her Chicken McNuggets. Not even with Ranch on them. I think the train car we were eating in was too distracting. Or the toy airplane inside the Happy Meal. Who knows.

There is no need to leave comments to make me feel guiltier than I already do. This picture…

… and this one are making feel like a big jerk as it is.