I don't wear diapers anymore, I'm a big girl!

This is the phrase I hear every morning when Avi wakes up & I am changing her diaper!

She says, "I don't wear diapers anymore, mama! I'm a big girl. I only wear diapers at nighttime!"

And, I am very happy to say she is right. I would venture to say she is potty trained! It just kinda happened. She decided she was ready...she's had a few accidents, but really not very many. I'm sure she will have more over the course of time, but she's doing pretty well! She pretty much tells us anytime she needs to go to the potty, and oh how nice it is not to be changing diapers all the time! I guess the focus has shifted, though! We're constantly asking her if she needs to go potty. Most of the time she says, "I don't." It's been fun to see her figure it all out, and it's pretty amazing that she understands when she needs to go potty now! So, I guess I got my Christmas present after all! And, it's a great one. Oh, and I promise, Christmas pictures to come. I'm working on it!

Big Girl Panties & Boots

Yep, it's hard to believe, but we are potty training. Notice her big girl panties in the picture (Elmo panties at that)? She loves wearing big girl panties. She's been potty training with pull-ups at school since September, but it's been pretty slow going at home. Even last week I would have told you she really wasn't cognitively ready. However, all of a sudden this week she seems to have turned a corner. She tells us when she needs to go (most of the time), and she's really making some progress! We are very excited. I'm hoping to be done with diapers very soon!! Wouldn't that be a great Christmas present?!

Bob, Judy & AnnaClaire gave Avi her adorable boots for her birthday. She L.O.V.E.S. them! I have to admit, she looks pretty cute in them. As she would say, "thanks, y'all!"

Every morning this past week Avi got a pillow off my bed and would pretend to take a nap on the floor. Then she would instruct me to take her picture! I made her pose with her baby doll, Amy! Aren't they cute?

Halloween Fun

Halloween started out with Drew, Cory & Joan completing an adventure race Saturday morning. They won the race, and they were the only team that did not consist of college students! I think they had fun! (Sorry, I don't have any pictures of it; I forgot my camera). In the afternoon, we played outside at home, and Avi loved the owl on her Halloween shirt...she was showing it to me in the above picture.

Avi was clapping because we were getting ready to go see Jack Fountain and Emily Adkerson.

Avi and Daddy

I tried really hard to get Avi to let me take a picture of her in her rain boots. She was totally ignoring me, and she did not want me to take anymore pictures. It's starting already!

Jack (the firefighter), Emily (the cowgirl), Addie (the zebra, oh wait a horse as she said...it's a long story), and Avi (the ladybug)

A close up of the girls

This picture is of Avi walking down the road to go trick or treating.

Walt or "Walt Man" as Avi loves to call him!

So, Walt was in the stroller, but soon into the trick or treating, Avi was so over it, and she booted Walt out and got in the stroller herself...she was relaxing!

Avi enjoyed the little kid's room at our church's Fall Festival. She loved riding that tractor, and she kept asking for the keys to it! All in all, we had a fun, full day. I'm glad Halloween only happens once a year! It's pretty tiring! Hope you all had a fun Halloween.

What's Red, Black & Polka Dotted All Over?

Why it's a lady bug, of course! Isn't she cute? Avi got to wear her costume to school this morning for a Halloween costume contest. Most of the kids and the teachers at her school dress up on Halloween. It's a lot of fun, and the kids really enjoy it!

This is Avi's best "cheese" smile. She kept saying, "Cheese. I wanna look at it, mommy." Everytime I took a picture, she wanted to look at it on the camera. Funny how they start understanding technology at such a young age.

These are a few of the kids in Avi's class. From left, Morgan, Miller (aka Miller Man), Avi, and Peter.

The kids with Ms. Elaine, their wonderful teacher

Haircuts & Pumpkins

I finally took Avi to have her haircut last Friday. It had gotten fairly long in the back, and it had some beautiful curls. However, the piece in the center of the back of her hair had gotten significantly longer than the other part, making it look like she had the infamous 80's rat tail. Drew had been on me for a while to get it cut, but I was just so hesitant to cut the sweet curls off. I took the plunge last week, and I am very happy with the results (the picture above is after the cut was finished). Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, and I took these with my phone; thus, the poor quality.

I had promised Avi M&Ms if she didn't cry and if she was a sweet girl while she got her hair cut. Needless to say she loves Ms (as she calls them) enough that she was an excellent little thing while she was in the chair getting her hair cut. I was very proud of her.

Last night we went to Starkville's first Pumpkin Palooza in downtown Starkville. We had a fun time, and it was a chore to get Avi to take a picture with the pumpkins. Again, I forgot my camera, so my phone had to do.

As a side note, we're headed to tailgate before the MSU/Florida football game. Go Dawgs! Hope we pull off a major upset tonight!

Where does Jesus live?

I had an interesting conversation with Avi this afternoon. I picked her up from school and as she was climbing into her car seat, she saw our Sunday School book. She started calling it mommy's Bible, and I didn't have the heart to correct her. And thus the following conversation took place :)

Avi: (gripping the Sunday School book to her chest) This mommy's Bible.

Me: That's right, that's mommy's Bible (again, not having the heart to correct her).

Avi: This Abi's Bible.

Me: No, that's mommy's Bible, but you may look at it (trying to teach her that not everything is hers...not sure it's sinking in).

Avi: This mommy's Bible (maybe it is sinking in)

Me: Avi, who does the Bible teach us about? (fully expecting her to say "I not know")

Avi: Jesus

Me: (extremely surprised and excited about her answer) That's right, the Bible teaches us about Jesus.

Avi: I see Him; I find picture of Jesus.

Me: I'm not sure there is a picture of Jesus in that Bible (thinking maybe I should have told her it wasn't a Bible??)

Avi: (she looks through the book several times) I not find picture, mommy.

Me: Well, I'm sorry sweetie. We'll look for a picture of Jesus when we get home.

Me: Where do you think Jesus lives? (I have no idea why it occurred to me to ask her this question)

Avi: in JACKSON!! (very excited that she knew the answer :)

Me: (trying to control my laughter) Well, I'm not sure he lives in JACKSON! I think maybe he lives in Heaven.

Avi: Yep, heben.

Me: Who else do you think lives in heaven? (thinking she might bust out with God or brother Austin or something like that)

Avi: Ummmm (one of her favorite things to say lately) Japheth (yes, she said Japheth, who is one of Noah's sons, as in Noah and the Ark...my mom taught her Noah's sons names, and she knows all of three of their names: Shem, Ham and Japheth!!)

So, really it was a fun and enlightening conversation on my part to be able to get a glimpse at what goes through my 2 year old's mind. Too funny.

Lots of Happenings

Last Friday night we went to a small fair that the Mississippi Horse Park had in Starkville. Avi had so much fun. We met up with Cory, Joan, Laura Leigh and Walt and had a good time letting the kids ride on the rides. Avi really enjoyed "driving" the cars. It was cute.

Riding in another car with Laura Leigh!

Avi also enjoyed a climbing/play gym that they had. She was really too young for it, but sweet Laura Leigh helped her go through the whole thing twice, and Avi was so excited. I'm not sure if you can tell in the picture, but she is dying out laughing coming down the slide at the end! Laura Leigh, thank you for taking time to help Avi go through the play area!

This picture cracks me up. She looks like she is glaring at me like a teenager! I made her let me take a picture of her :) at the tailgate on Saturday. I had to show off my abilities, though...I made the little outfit she is wearing in the picture (I made the pants and appliqued her name on the shirt). I was pretty proud of it.

Adorable Walt man!

Joan really had Avi's tickle box turned on at the tailgate!

We had dinner with some friends, Michele and Hans Herrmann. Their daughter, Petra, is about 9 months older than Avi, and they see each other at school a lot. They had fun playing with Petra's stash of princess dress-up clothes.

They were so cute sitting on the coffee table together!

Finally, about 2 or 3 weeks ago after church I went to grade some papers. When I got home, I saw the most magnificent rainbow I have seen in Mississippi, or anywhere for that matter, except for Hawaii. I could see both ends of the rainbow. It was just above our house, and it was beautiful. By the time I got into the house and got Avi and Drew to come out side to see it, it was almost gone. It was very neat to see, though. This picture doesn't do it justice.