On Being a Curmudgeon

I have been feeling this post bouncing around in my head for quite some time.

My name is Tiffany and I am curmudgeon. Specifically, a holiday curmudgeon.

Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, 4th of July, and Halloween so much I might even Celine-Dion-LURVE it. But. I take issue with all the other "holidays" and "holiday traditions" that keep popping up, aided no doubt by Pinterest and blogland and this ever-increasing need to appear to be the best parent ever who does all! the fun! things!

I read this blog post this morning and it basically summed up my feelings about all these extra holiday goings-on. I know the pressure will only grow as Ava gets older and enters elementary school but I hope I can just stick to my guns like this mom.

In summation: the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Thank you, Stephen Covey, for saying something so obvious and so often forgotten.

Kid art is favorite art

 Ava's new favorite way to pass her time is drawing. She's getting pretty good at it too.

 "A sun, a flower, and lots of rainbows!"

My new bed with lots of pillows:

a whale!

Annnnnd a doggy (my favorite).

 Not bad. In fact, this is slightly better than my drawing.

Today.

I handed Ava "The Friend" magazine this morning. She freaked out and said, "it made my dreams come true!"

Then, throughout our errand running session this morning, she started picking up leaves and rocks and such and insisting that she needed to keep them for her "collection".

I think we need to lessen the amount of Little Mermaid that gets watched around here.

Or not. Because it's kind of awesome.

Also? This:

The time has come

So Ava and I were at the doctor's office this week. We were sitting there talking to the nurse when she just pipes in and says, "my dad leaves his hair in the tub." I tried to make the awkward moment a little better by saying that he shaves his face in the shower and we cleaned it out and it's okay but she just shook her head lightly and said, "he's a gross man."

The nurse and I were dying. I guess we've gotten to that age when nothing is a secret and our dirty laundry will be aired at inappropriate times to inappropriate people. Yaaaaaay.....

Le Sigh

You know what's annoying? Thinking all your life that you love snow and then moving to a very snowy place with lake effect snow in the winter time and realizing that you don't, in fact, like snow at all after mid-January. It just. keeps. snowing. And I feel like it will never end.

But I have faith that in a few months I will be enjoying this:

And it will be wonderful. Until then? I'll be hibernating. 

Science Fridays

For some reason, science is more fun on Fridays. It's kind of like watching a movie in 5th period the whole week before Christmas break. It's a fun, sneaky surprise in our house (because Ava never knows when Friday is coming) and she goes out of her mind with excitement when it's time for science (not unlike I did for 5th period movie time).

Today we played with milk, food coloring, and soap (really cool). You can find the directions and waaaay cooler pictures of it here. and then we made slime from glue and borax. The slime was gross and awesome and might be Ava's new best friend for today. You can find the recipe here.

Some Ava-isms

Ava is really concerned about Little Bunny Foo Foo and his fate as a goon. So concerned, in fact, that she includes him in prayers. She reeeeally doesn't want him to be a goon.

She also thinks that any random child she sees is one of her "sriends" and she asks me what their name is. It is awkward.

My "I love you" is usually met with an "I love you soooo much" from her.

When Danny leaves for work every morning, Ava stands at the top of the stairs and says, "Don't forget your money! Here's your hat! Have a good day!". It reminds me of my dad bidding me me farewell before social engagements in high school. He always had last minute advice too.

"begot" = forgot/forget, "goldshish" = goldfish, "misharies" = missionaries, and "decoration it" = decorate.

This conversation in the car:
Ava: Dad is the best boy ever.
Me: Yes he is!
Ava: He is a man.
Me: Yup.
Ava: He is an older man.
Me: Tell him that when he gets in the car.
*Danny gets in the car*
Ava: DAD! YOU'RE AN OOOOOLD MAN!
Me: Heh heh heh.